To See the Way I Do
by Wind Child
Summary: Chapter 15 up. HP-Original cross. A new girl appears at Hogwarts who has some interesting powers. Who is this girl who hides so many secrets? Why is she interested in Harry? Find out here. Reviews make me happy!
1. The Wizards

Kentarre didn't know what she expected of Hogwarts, but it certainly wasn't what she got. When she received her letter, she assumed it was a prank from one of her colleagues, and thought nothing of it. However, when she received another the next week, and another the next, she realized with a shock that it was genuine; there really was something like this that existed. She had only been in England a few months, and Bristol only a few days. Not that she liked the place; actually, quite the contrary. This was the third week since she had received the first of her green-inscribed letters; she had been delivered her third one just this past noontime. "Oh, all right," she cried irritably just after seeing what had fallen through the mail slot. "I'll go to this baka train station, if they'll only leave me alone!" Picking up the solitary parchment envelope, she walked briskly back to her rather bare kitchen. Though she was a young girl of fifteen, she was well able to take care of herself since her parents abandoned her; this was one of the many reasons she never stayed in one place longer than a week. Where she got enough money to support herself was no one's business but her own, and she did not welcome strangers.  
  
While her eyes remained fixed on the paper on her knee, Kentarre's left hand lifted and pointed two fingers in the direction of the coffeemaker. She heard the machine switch on and immediately begin drip, drip, dripping into the awaiting mug. Getting up and brushing a few stray silvery bangs from her forehead, she stretched but did not allow herself to yawn, and trudged down the hall to her room, which, like the kitchen, was sparingly furnished. Her footsteps echoed down the low-ceilinged hall, while the naked light bulb swung above her by a few wires.  
  
Arriving at her room, her eyes swiftly searched the area for anything that was out of place. She was, by nature, very suspicious, and had many experiences with burglars, intruders, thieves, and the like. The girl began to dress herself, and once done, slipped back into the kitchen, though she didn't stop there; she padded onward to the den and proceeded to gather all the things from this room that were hers. This sequence continued for every room in the house until she had collected a small bundle of things in her arms (excluding, of course, the coffeemaker, which was not hers, and the mug, likewise). These she placed in a suitcase that exactly fitted all of these things and would not fit any more.  
  
After draining the coffee in a few gulps, she made her way to the phone, the only thing left in the den. Kentarre picked up the receiver, dialed a number, and held a brief conversation with the other end of the line. After the conversation was cancelled and the receiver replaced, Kentarre made one more quick check around the house and left, closing the front door with a finality that echoed throughout the silent and empty house.  
  
Kentarre proceeded to catch a dismal train ride to London, on which she said nothing and ate nothing, preferring to sit quietly in her car and shake her head at anyone who came in and offered her something. At one point in the trip, a boy about her age or perhaps younger poked his head in and asked if he could sit in the car with her, stating that all the other ones were full. She gave him a skeptical look for a moment, in which he stood in silent anticipation, then allowed him to enter and sit. He made a few brave stabs at conversation, in which she either shook her head or gave him querical looks. After about thirty minutes he declared that he was going to go, erm, relieve himself, but he'd be back. She excused him with another annoyed stare, and he quickly left. Kentarre knew he wouldn't be back, so she settled down once more and stared out the window.  
  
The train arrived in London around two, and disembarking proved to be more difficult than it looked. A large, bustling crowd lingered around the station, most of its entities simply milling around and watching the coming and going of trains. Kentarre hated time-wasters, and she thumbed her nose at a particularly large group of obviously foreign speculators.  
  
Kentarre made her way through the filthy streets of London, not really paying attention to where she was going, but going all the same. The letters were in her pocket, and their directions were clear. She had never been to London before, but, as was the same with all cities, she strode around like she had lived there her entire life, knowing exactly which direction to go when. A tiny voice in her head that she had never heard before in her life and knew not whence it came spoke without warning. *Look to your right,* it said, *and you will know from there whence to go.* She paused in the middle of the walkway, ignoring those people behind her who ploughed into her and then past her. Her head turned to her right; an extraordinarily ordinary sight met her eye. It was a run-down pub, whose peeling sign above said "The Leaky Cauldron". She stepped inside and was met with another ordinary sight. Customers sat at the rickety tables and chairs, and a few stood near the walls, deep in conversation. Kentarre proceeded into the little building, moving aside to be out of the light and the doorway. She happened to catch snitches of talk as she stood there, and these greatly interested her. A group of elderly people stood not two feet from her, and their conversation rose above the rest. One of the men was saying, "How did you get here so fast, Vivian? The passage is all the way across the bar from here, and we see everyone that comes in or out of Diagon Alley. I distinctly remember never seeing you come through."  
  
The woman beside him snorted, "Because you're blind as a bat, that's why, Wallace! You couldn't tell me from the Minister of Magic!" At the word "magic", Kentarre's ears perked. Now she understood why the little voice had spoken; this was the place she needed to go to get all of the school supplies that were on the list of oddments.  
  
She suddenly noticed a small trickle of people come in from the door in the rear of the bar. Among them was an elderly woman who appeared to be in a great rush, darting here and there with surprising speed, looking at faces and craning her neck, apparently searching for something or someone. As Kentarre watched her, the woman suddenly caught her eye and began to hurriedly make her way toward Kentarre's end of the bar. Assuming she was heading for the door, Kentarre backed even further into the shadows, attempting to get out of her way. However, the woman did not continue on past her, but stopped directly in front of her.  
  
The woman wore square spectacles and a very businesslike expression. She addressed Kentarre, saying, "Are you Kentarre Hisakata?" Arcing one eyebrow, Kentarre responded with a nod. "I am Professor McGonagall from Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore sent me to bring you to the school to settle certain matters of your attendance. Come with me."  
  
Without waiting to see if Kentarre would follow, she pivoted and just as swiftly made her way back across the bar. Kentarre, amused but quite curious, followed suit just as swiftly, not to be outdone by an old woman whom she had never met before. The lady's grey and rather dull cloak swished through the swirling crowd, and Kentarre tagged close behind.  
  
The woman led her through the back door and out of the building, finally coming upon a brick wall that had several trashcans lined up against it. Rummaging in her dress pocket, the old woman drew out a long, slender sprig of a dark brown wood. With this, she tapped a brick in the wall three times, causing a chain reaction; the bricks melted away to reveal a bustling, busy world behind them. The remaining bricks formed an arch that soared above their heads, and it was through this that the woman, wasting no time, marched. "Come along," she said brusquely, and Kentarre, having no alternative at the moment, obeyed. The new person, it seemed, was very good at maneuvering through the crowds; she seemed to flow by without effort. This was all right with Kentarre; she wasn't often curious, so the sightseeing didn't really matter much. That is not to say that she didn't notice anything; rather, she noticed quite a bit with her peripheral vision, but if she saw anything out of place, it didn't affect her serene expression.  
  
Eventually, they came to a fork in the road, at which the woman, Professor McGonagall, turned to the left, just avoiding being hit by a rushing crowd of young boys who were headed for a shop whose sign said, "Quality Quidditch Supplies" in gold letters. Even so, Kentarre managed to maneuver around them in the nick of time. The left fork led them down a straight path, which seemed to scale a small hill. Once at the top, Professor McGonagall paused by a lamppost that was near the side of the street. When Kentarre came up, she pointed down the street. Peering through the evening mist, Kentarre saw, looming at her from a rather large distance, a castle. It was, though it was hard to tell from this distance, enormous, sitting there, bathed in orange light from the setting sun. "That," said Professor McGonagall, "is Hogwarts." Silence followed this remark, silence punctured only by the noise of the street around them. Then the professor said, "Come along. We're almost there." With that, she started off again with a new sort of vigor in her step, and Kentarre was left no choice but to follow.  
  
When they arrived at the castle gate, which was flanked by two statues of winged boars. The castle, growing larger and larger by the minute, loomed at her as they approached. Professor McGonagall was saying something about carriages that were out of order, but Kentarre was only half-listening. She was taking in her surroundings, drinking in the sights and seeing nothing very heartening. The lake, glassy and smooth, glimmered darkly at her, while the forest behind it jeered from afar. The grass around the castle was marked all around by shadows, including her own. Ascending the cold stone steps, Kentarre noticed the front doors for the first time. They were the height of three men, and at least seven people could walk abreast through it. The professor banged the brass knocker once, and only minutes later, a figure wearing dark robes opened it. It was a man, pale-faced and dark-haired, and he had a most disdainful look on his face. However, when he saw who was at the door, he pulled it wide and said, "Professor McGonagall," in a stern and unfriendly manner. Professor McGonagall replied, "Professor Snape," in a crisp, businesslike tone, which was completely void of all emotion. Kentarre's own reaction was not quite unlike Professor McGonagall's. She could see that this teacher would have to do with some consideration, along with some manipulation, for he clearly did not approve of her. Professor McGonagall started off briskly down a wide corridor to the left, and Kentarre, not wanting to be humiliatingly lost, followed once more.  
  
She found herself being led down several brightly lit halls, each one lined with differently colored carpets and tapestries. Finally, the elderly professor stopped and faced a carved wooden gargoyle, whose mouth was open, revealing jagged, uneven teeth. "Butter quills," muttered she. The gargoyle spontaneously sprang aside, revealing a small door, through which the professor strode, towing a bewildered but silent and sober-faced Kentarre.  
  
The door led to a spiral staircase, which was, even stranger still, moving upwards continuously. This the professor stepped on, and it carried her upward with it. Kentarre followed suit. The staircase, it turned out, ended at a short passageway, at the end of which was a door much like the one that was concealed by the gargoyle, only this one was partly open. Professor McGonagall tapped gently on it, and a voice from inside, a voice that hinted of age in body but not in spirit, replied, "Enter." Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and ushered Kentarre inside, closing the door after doing so. The room, Kentarre observed, was round and furnished with many oddments and questionable items. Many of these were indescribable, but the walls were lined with pictures of elderly women and men, all moving. To one side of the room was a desk, and at it sat a man whose long, white hair and beard flowed out from underneath a pointed hat. He had a wrinkled, friendly smile, and his lightning blue eyes sparkled under bushy, white eyebrows.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," said Kentarre's accompanist sharply, "this is Kentarre Hisakata. Kentarre, this is Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts." The man gave Kentarre a calculating look, which Kentarre countered with one of her own. "Hello," said he. "I understand that certain arrangements must be made on the terms of your attendance at this school. Minerva, thank you for bringing her, I will not be needing any more services." Professor McGonagall promptly left the room. "Now, Kentarre, have you any parents or relatives who are your caretakers?" Kentarre said bluntly, "No."  
  
"I see. And how old are you, Kentarre?"  
  
"Fifteen."  
  
"You live alone?"  
  
Kentarre simply nodded.  
  
"How long have you been in England?"  
  
"A few months."  
  
"I see. From which country did you come?"  
  
"Japan."  
  
"Ah." A pause. "Have you had any recent jobs?"  
  
"I have. Several, in fact."  
  
"And these were…?"  
  
"Oh, nothing really special. I am not currently employed, if that's what you're getting at." Kentarre knew full well what his reaction would be if she told him what she'd got a job doing, so she casually met his curious stare with a calm expression.  
  
The professor continued. "Well, since you are obviously able to take care of yourself, and you seem to have some source of revenue, I will tell you where you can go to exchange your money for wizard coins. These will then enable you to purchase your school supplies, of which I'm sure you received a list." After a few brief instructions, the headmaster finished and said she was free to go, and if she had any questions that he'd be here. Kentarre stood, gave a slight bow, and left the room.  
  
She had not forgotten the way out, and soon found herself outside the front doors. Across the lawn could be seen a man of great proportions who seemed to be pruning a small bush outside a cabin that was just as large as he was. The pruning shears were nothing short of enormous, and the man holding them seemed to be in deep concentration, as though he was afraid of clipping the tiny bush right off of its stem. Kentarre decided to go and see what this was all about. Leaving the steps, she crossed the lawn and walked over to the man. As she approached, the man straightened and wiped a huge hand across his forehead. She reached him and stopped. "Hello," she said warily, not sure what his reaction would be. He twisted around to see who the speaker was, and saw Kentarre standing there in her jeans and flame t-shirt. "Who're you?" he asked gruffly. "I'm called Kentarre," she replied in resonant tones. "Oh. Hello," he said. "What're you doing here? Term doesn't start fer another two weeks."  
  
"Actually, I'm still trying to figure that out. The headmaster sent someone to retrieve me from Bristol to see about my coming here. What's your name?" At her question, he seemed to remember himself. "Oh, excuse me. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds," he said, and extended his hand, in which Kentarre placed hers. His enormous hand completely dwarfed hers, and his fingers wrapped around it entirely. After a brief shake, Hagrid turned back to his pruning, but he still seemed to want to talk, as he grunted, "So, yeh met any o' the other teachers yet, Kentarre?"  
  
"Yes. Professor McGonagall, who was sent to get me, and Professor Snape."  
  
At this he paused. "Yeh met Professor Snape, did yeh?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
A nod. A nod that said that Hagrid knew something Kentarre didn't. A nod that confirmed just about everything.  
  
Hagrid went on. "Yeh heard about Hogwarts before?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, I can tell yeh, it'll be rough, with yeh bein' a firs' year, an' all, but yeh'll patch through."  
  
At the words 'firs' year', Kentarre started. "A what?"  
  
"A firs' year. It means that it's the youngest class, the rookies."  
  
Kentarre bristled. "Are all the rookies fifteen?"  
  
"Fifteen?" Hagrid's brow furrowed. "Yeh're fifteen?"  
  
Kentarre nodded. Hagrid said, "Odd. Yeh are new here, aren't yeh?" Another nod. "So… what year are yeh in?" A blatent shrug. "Hmm… oh well, better not think about it too much. Dumbledore's probably got it all figured out… always does… well, it was nice meetin' yeh, Kentarre."  
  
She nodded and turned away, feeling that she'd found out something interesting, if not useful. And made a friend. *Ha,* thought she, *I don't have any friends. And I was perfectly content as long as it stayed that way. Everyone else just seems to get in the way, anyway.* She began to make her way out of the gates and back down the busy street from which she had come.  
  
Kentarre soon found the center for money trade that Professor Dumbledore had indicated. She emptied her pockets and found that there was quite a sum, but she didn't trade all of it in; she didn't know if she would be going back or not, but it was always prudent to have some cash on hand. The clerk handed her a handful of coins, and as she looked closer, Kentarre could see that they were the most peculiar coins she'd ever seen. However, as much as she'd seen of this place, she'd learned never to expect anything short of the extraordinary, and thus one shall never be taken by surprise.  
  
When she was once again outside the center, she began to walk, pulling out her supplies list and pocketing her coins. *Hmm… robes, a hat, a cauldron, a wand, books, potion ingredients and equipment, dragon hide gloves, an optional pet, and a bottle of ground harpy's feather? What are these people anyway?* she thought as she meandered down the street. *Well, first thing's first. I suppose I'd better get some robes.* It was then that her skills of observing really came in handy, because otherwise she'd have had no idea of how to get where. She found Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in just a few minutes. Soon, she was walking outside with a bag of three robes, each exactly what the regulation required. *All right, next… the potion ingredients.* These proved slightly more difficult to purchase, as the store was in complete disarray, but in the end she managed to find all of them. Kentarre asked the store woman if there was any stock of ground harpy's feather, and the woman replied in a simpering voice, "I think we just got in a new stock of those, but they're not on the shelf yet. Let me go look for you." As Kentarre waited, the woman disappeared and soon returned carrying a small bottle about the height of Kentarre's middle finger that was full of a glittering, orange-colored powder. "This is the first of our new shipment," she trilled, "so it's practically fresh!" Kentarre thanked her, paid for her purchases, and hurried out of the store. She looked back at the store and shuddered. *I hope all the clerks aren't like that… okay, what's next? Let's see… I think books next.*  
  
The bookstore wasn't hard to find at all; it was set on a pretty little corner of the square, a very convenient spot if you wanted business. However, there seemed to be little business at all for the little store, save a few young persons dragging exhausted parents in and out, in empty-handed, out carrying too much. It was in this direction that Kentarre veered, barely avoiding being crushed by a passing carriage. When she stepped inside the door, a very ordinary sight met her eye. The bookstore was neat as a pin, and everything seemed to have a place of its own. No one's voice rose above the level of a whisper; it almost reminded her of a shrine she had once visited.  
  
A clerk padded up to her. "May I help you?" he asked in hushed tones. She showed him her list, and he said, "Ah, a Hogwarts student. Wait right here." He disappeared among the aisles for a few minutes, and then returned carrying a bundle of books, which he transferred to her arms. He turned and led her to the desk that was in one corner, and he totaled up her purchases. Kentarre thanked him and left the store, looking back over her shoulder at the door with a that-was-peculiar look on her face. She fished her list out and peered at it. *Hmm… equipment next.*  
  
This store proved easy to find, because of all the oddments in its window. There was a spinning model of the galaxy, a golden rod that looked as though it might be a sort of telescope, a number of differently sized and shaped cauldrons, and an assortment of other trinkets. She pushed the door open and was met with the smell of new leather and metal polish. Once her purchases had been made, she swiftly breezed back out into the oncoming night.  
  
Now there was only one thing left on her supplies list that she did not have: the optional pet. Kentarre had never owned a pet before because it would have been too much trouble to catch the kind of pet she wanted, for it was surely not sold in a normal pet store. *However, I suppose that since I have nothing else to do, and the fact remains that nothing here is normal, I will go and have a look at this pet store. Perhaps they will have what I am looking for.*  
  
Eyelops' Owl Emporium was a tiny little shop that was squeezed in between the place for Quidditch supplies and the Apothecary. When she walked in, Kentarre found herself surrounded by cages upon cages of various animals in all shapes, colors, and sizes; literally. There were mice of every color of the rainbow, owls that varied in size from fist-size to those who had wingspans of nearly five feet. There was a counter set in the back between two enormous cages full of cats. An elderly witch stood behind it, and she looked sternly at Kentarre and asked, "What do you need?" Kentarre looked her square in the face and requested, "Do you carry hawks?"  
  
The saleswoman said, "Well, we have eagle owls, if that's what you mean."  
  
"No, no, I mean hawks. Preferrably a falcon."  
  
"Hmmm. Well, let's see what we have. I might have something to interest you in the back. Follow me, please."  
  
The woman led Kentarre to a storage room in the back corner of the store. It was full of caged and twittering birds of all kinds. Kentarre noticed that these birds were more uncommon. The saleswoman stopped in front of a mesh cage against the left wall. Inside was a single bird; a red-eyed falcon whose left foot was chained to a hook in the base of the mesh. It cawed a melancholy cry when the woman appeared, but then it was silenced when the bird noticed Kentarre. She and the falcon locked eyes for a moment, his crimson eyes just as fierce and wild as her own solid black ones. "He'll do," Kentarre told the woman after a moment. The woman asked uncertainly, "Are you sure? I've had to keep close tabs on this one. He's a real menace."  
  
"Yes. I'm sure," Kentarre replied, still not taking her eyes off the falcon. The woman nodded. "All right," she said. "I'll have to ask you to go back to the main store while I put him in a suitable cage." Kentarre ripped her gaze from the bird, but not before a single word spoke out in her mind. *Nemesis.* She didn't understand it, but it spoke again. *Nemesis.*  
  
She stood in the front of the store for a few minutes, and the word did not present itself again until the woman returned carrying the selected falcon in a rounded cage with a handle. *Nemesis.* Kentarre gazed again at the bird, and then it clicked. *This bird's name is Nemesis.* Kentarre paid a surprisingly low price for the falcon and left the store carrying him and all her other purchases. Now, she was headed back toward the castle; there was a question she wanted to pose to Dumbledore, and there was something she knew that he didn't. 


	2. Hogwarts

Chapter 2: Hogwarts  
  
  
  
Kentarre once again breached the distance between the busy streets and the castle, finally reaching it just as the moon was rising over the horizon. Nemesis let out an occasional chirp for every sharp jolt, but other than that was silent as the evening mist that settled around the castle and hovered above the lake. This time, Kentarre was let in the front door by a woman in green print robes and dangling floral earrings. The woman admitted her when told of her purpose, and Kentarre had no trouble finding the gargoyle, just as ugly as ever, that led to the headmaster's chamber.  
  
Now, outside the door, Kentarre had her first second thoughts about telling Dumbledore the truth at all. *What he doesn't know won't hurt him,* she thought, *and it would help to make my solitude a little more complete.* However, in the end, she let her hand continue its journey to descend upon the door and knock sharply. "Enter," came the familiar voice.  
  
Kentarre did so, and closed the door with a foreboding click. "Headmaster," she began, "it has come to my attention that there are certain truths that remain untold." The headmaster replied cryptically, "Ah, yes, that is often the case about truths. I suspect that you wish to reveal them?" Kentarre gave him a skeptical look. "That depends on your ability to conceal them," she said bluntly.  
  
The old man's eyes twinkled. "I give you my word, whatever you have to tell will not leave this office. Except, of course, when it chances to enter my own thoughts." Kentarre frowned, but continued.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Approximately thirty minutes later, Kentarre left Dumbledore's office with strict instructions to go and get herself a wand, but to be extremely discreet about it. Dumbledore had already sent an owl to the owner of the store telling him exactly when Kentarre would stop by. She was to go in, get her wand, and get out, and no one would be left the wiser.  
  
The stone steps leading out of the castle looked very inviting; Kentarre had spent a rather embarrassing half hour with the headmaster and was glad to get away from it. However, she felt a strange sense of duty that she had rarely felt before, as though she had done the right thing by telling him about herself.  
  
*Ha,* thought she, *I've never been very good at doing the right thing, and I've certainly never felt myself doing it before. Why should now be any different?* But as she looked back over her shoulder at the shadowed castle, she knew that it was different. Too different. This kind of different could change everything. And change, this kind of change, was not on her list of desirable personal traits.  
  
Kentarre clicked her boots irritably on the cobblestones as she searched for the shop selling wands.  
  
She found the shop and entered without hesitation. Inside seemed completely unaffected by the cooling air outside; the shop was stuffy and warm, and dust seemed to settle everywhere. Lining the walls were boxes upon slender boxes, rows upon rows, stretching all the way to the back of the store and around a corner. It was from around this corner that an old man whose demeanor emitted no age at all appeared; his grey eyes squinted at Kentarre for a few minutes before the man reached up and placed a pair of glasses in front of them. "You must be Kentarre Hisakata," he inferred. She said, "And you, Mr. Ollivander." At this, he smiled, revealing white, straight teeth that glistened at her even in the dimly lit store. "Well, since we have no need for introdutions, shall we get on and find you a wand?" Without waiting for an answer, he bustled away and came back carrying a small chair. Upon this he stood, lifting down a few boxes from the tops of a few stacks. "Which is your wand hand?" he asked crisply. Kentarre indicated her left, which was not holding Nemesis. The first wand he handed to Kentarre and told her to "give it a wave." As she did so, the wand felt warm and released several sparks from the tip. Mr. Ollivander's eyes widened in surprise, and Nemesis rustled uneasily in his cage. Kentarre looked nonplussed. "In all my years of selling wands, only once have I ever encountered someone who matched the first wand they waved. Here, try another one to be on the safe side," said the salesman nervously, as though this news was not good news at all.  
  
The next wand produced the same result. And the next, and the next, and the next. Mr. Ollivander finally and incredulously fell into the chair, his brow furrowed deeply and his eyes confused and clouded. "What could make this happen?" he wanted to know. Kentarre looked away, her eyes dark and withdrawn as though they were hidden behind curtains. Mr. Ollivander gazed up at her, and she felt his eyes as though they were putting physical pressure on her, though she kept her lips sealed. The man picked up the first wand she had tried. "Which would you rather? I've never given someone a choice of wand before, but I suppose that's the only way to decide which one you will take, as they all react to you." Kentarre gestured to the one he held. "That one will do just fine," she said. He nodded and began to wrap it up in its box, afterward making futile attempts to find the others' coordinating boxes. Kentarre purchased her wand, her eyes showing her distaste, and left the shop and the strange shopkeeper.  
  
Dumbledore had given her other instructions, also. When she arrived back at the Leaky Cauldron beyond Diagon Alley, she was to occupy a room that Dumbledore had secured for her until the school year began on September first. These orders were to be followed immediately after she purchased her wand, but Kentarre wasn't finished yet. There was another road leading off of Diagon Alley, yet this was not part of the brightly lit shopping center. A decrepit sign hung above the entrance to this dim, gloomy side street that said "Knockturn Alley." Kentarre, across the pavement from this entrance, looked at it darkly and strode directly under it and into the foreboding dark.  
  
Inside, a little light came from above, however limited by the towering skyline. The shops themselves portrayed little more light from inside; most of them had no light at all. Many of the shopkeepers sold their wares outside, and strange objects they sold indeed. There were several displays of what looked like body parts, and several of putrid, smoking potions. One shop in particular caught Kentarre's eye; it was quite large, and it advertised spellbooks. Kentarre stood in front of this window until she heard someone speaking right behind her. The voice had an oily, droning quality, and by the tone, it belonged to a young boy. "Father, you said you'd get me something in Joldar's. And here it is!"  
  
A man's voice replied irritably, "All right, Draco, but be quick."  
  
The couple who spoke walked into the store Kentarre stood before, and she eyed the younger with great scrutiny. He was blonde, and was wearing a rather snooty expression on his face as he strolled businesslike through the door, as if he was at home. Curious, Kentarre entered at their heels, thinking she'd do a bit of spying, because she had naught else to do. Once inside, she parted company with the father and son, and began to roam the store, just to seem casual. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls and littered the floor, and myriad books filled these. However, the shop sold things other than books, and it was to these things that the boy called Draco was attracted. Kentarre began to browse, careful to keep the boy and his father within earshot. Draco talked for a while about which item he would select from the foul-smelling pile, but eventually his one-man conversation turned to other subjects, and it was in these other topics that Kentarre was interested.  
  
"And you know, Father, they're allowing far too many Mudbloods into the school this year. It's contaminating the rest of us, really. Why couldn't you send me to Durmstrang like all the rest of the respectable purebloods?"  
  
"I've told you several times, Draco, your mother won't allow it. She doesn't want you to have to go so far away."  
  
"Well, I don't see what's so wrong with it, and I think it's worth it. It's bound to be a whole lot better than half-breed Hogwarts."  
  
"You are not the authoritator on that point, however, so might we just get what we came for and leave?"  
  
A brief silence. Then Draco picked up a bundle of trick bookmarks that stained the pages they were holding, purchased it, and left the store on his father's left flank.  
  
Kentarre then emerged from the shadows. She had noticed that the boy had been carrying bags not unlike her own; he had apparently shopped at the same places Kentarre had, and, she noted, bought most of the same items, such as potion ingredients and spellbooks. Nemesis, who had not left her side, had remained sagely silent while they were there, but now glared after the two shoppers with obvious distaste. "I agree," she murmured to the falcon, "I don't like them at all. There's something funny about the boy..."  
  
Abruptly, Kentarre left the store behind, and with it Knockturn Alley. The archway leading out of Diagon Alley was just up ahead, and it was in this direction that she headed. On the way, she heard many snitches of conversation, all of it meaningless, unless you count a little boy shouting to his mother from across the street about a new racing broom.  
  
She soon made arrangements in the Leaky Cauldron for her stay there. The bartender, Tom, led her up to her room and told her the policy on meals and room service. She thanked him, and he smiled and exited, leaving her and her belongings. A window was situated at the left corner of the room, and through this she could see Diagon Alley, now with only a few late shoppers left. The moon had risen a quarter in the sky, and the Hogwarts castle, seen from a distance, had many twinkling lights adorning its silhouette, as did most of the shops below.  
  
Kentarre, not bothering to unpack her things, set Nemesis down on her nightstand, and, on a whim, opened his cage on the condition that he wouldn't cause a ruckus. Nemesis, glad for a reprieve from the tight cage, glided noiselessly around the room for a spell, and then settled on the bedstead, preening and fluffing his brown speckled feathers. Kentarre made a deal with him; if he would be back before she went to bed, she would let him out. If not, he wouldn't be let out again for another two nights. At this proposition, he cocked his head at her, considering. Having come to a conclusion, he pecked her gently on the hand, and, rising, she let him out the window and watched him soar out into the night air, high above the deteriorating business being held below in the streetshops.  
  
*Ah, nighttime,* she thought, *the most glorious time. A time of peace and silence.* Kentarre stood, extinguished the conventional lamp, and ignited one of her own: her glowing palm threw shimmering shadows on the walls and floor. A symbol began to form on the front and back of her palm, a symbol that could only be seen under these circumstances: three circles, one inside the other. Well she knew it; many times had she seen it. This little symbol, etched in glowing crimson, had become her life, her very soul and essence, from the moment she learned of its meaning.  
  
Kentarre stared at it, as always, with a glint of respect in her eyes, yes, respect and, oddly, friendship. At first, she had hated the sign, hated what it stood for, hated the reason it was there. Now, a sort of kinship had come, and, yes, a submission to its existence, and a gratefulness for its help.  
  
Suddenly, there came a slight tapping on her window panes; Nemesis had returned, feathers ruffled and askew from his exhilerating flight. Smiling, she admitted him and reassured him that the deal was still on; Nemesis later received a bit from her dinner that she had saved for him if he was good. This he devoured and then chirped for more, which she gave him with a grin. Now, perched on her shoulder, he nudged her hair playfully and then cooed his goodnights. He spent the rest of the night with his head under his wing.  
  
As for Kentarre, she adjusted the position of her bed to where her head would be just under the window. Lying there, she found it quite comfortable, as the moon's pale light illuminated her face and hair, making the latter seem even more silvery than usual. It was then that she slept, a peaceful, gratifying slumber.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
During the next few days, Kentarre acquired for herself a number of other items, such as a cloak and a lunascope. Nemesis generally went with her wherever she went, and gradually she began to wean him off of being in his cage all the time. For a short amount of time she would let him out on the condition that he either stay very close or sit on her shoulder. He seemed to like the latter better, and though he attracted quite a bit of attention, Kentarre was completely content to let him stay there. Eventually he came to the point where the cage, for the most part, stayed in her room, open and vacant, while Nemesis roamed about with her on her excursions.  
  
More and more frequently, she began to notice people of roughly her own age shopping in Diagon Alley. September first was drawing nearer and nearer, and she supposed that most of them were Hogwarts students. A few of them seemed to know each other, for she could see them traveling about in groups of three or four, oftentimes leaving their parents to deal with the packages. And still more of them gave Kentarre curious stares as she passed them, to say nothing of the gapes they sent Nemesis. If he noticed this, however, he merely turned his head in aloofness, as though setting himself apart from their prying eyes.  
  
It was thus that she patrolled the streets, paying no particular attention to anyone, but all the same keeping her eye out for the blond kid she'd seen in Knockturn Alley. Eventually, she drew fewer and fewer stares, and as September first drew ever closer, more people could be seen leaving Diagon Alley with pets and packages of their own. Kentarre, after receiving a screech owl from Dumbledore, was fully prepared to leave her apartment when September first dawned cold and clear.  
  
On the said morning, Kentarre thanked the bald bartender downstairs and made her way out onto the street, this time carrying Nemesis in his cage, much to his dismay. The rest of her belongings were stowed away in her small, drawstring bag, which was slung across her shoulder. King's Cross Station itself was easy to find at eleven o'clock in the morning, and, after watching a few others do it, she figured out how to get onto the designated platform. Once there, Kentarre found herself in a brightly lit, bustling world, and in the center of this was the red and shining Hogwarts Express, already being boarded. Kentarre hadn't found a need for a cart, as she was carrying so few things, so she also hadn't much trouble getting her luggage onto the train. A boy in front of her was muttering to his friend beside him about his new racing broom, a Nimbus 2001, he said. Kentarre wasn't particularly interested in the conversation because they seemed to be taking an awfully long time to board the train. Looking ahead to see what was the holdup, Kentarre spotted the boy at the front of the line, who was struggling with his suitcase. Sighing in exasperation, she walked up to him and said curtly, "Need some help?" When he nodded, she told him, "Stand back." When he did, she reached under the protruding front end and pointed two fingers at the bottom. The case, under her guidance, lifted and floated into the car. The boy stared. "Thanks," he breathed. "How'd you do that without a wand?" Kentarre then realized her mistake, and produced her wand from behind her back. Seeming satisfied, he boarded the train behind his luggage, which had now dropped to the floor.  
  
*That was close,* Kentarre thought to herself. *I'd better not use any more magic without appearing to use my wand.*  
  
After that, she eventually boarded the train and found a seat in a vacated car near the train's end. She settled herself down and began to watch the last-minute comings and goings of students and parents. Nothing there seemed to interest her, so she stood, stretched just a bit, and then began to inspect the compartment she was in. The seats were soft plush and the floors were carpeted with a reddish sort of padding. Passing outside the door could be heard the pattering of feet and the murmur of muffled voices of students. Once, Kentarre thought she heard the voice of Draco, but then his was replaced by others.  
  
Occasionally, someone would peek into her compartment to see if it was vacant or not, and then apologize for barging in. Some didn't apologize, but simply closed the door indifferently. Others knocked and called from outside, to which she answered, "Go away."  
  
And then, the thing she least expected happened. None other than the blond boy Draco opened the door. Unlike the others who just poked their heads in, he slid the door wide open. The pair of them looked at each other shrewdly. Then he spoke. "Who are you?" he inquired. "I am no one to be trifled with," she replied. "Who are you?"  
  
"Really? The name's Draco Malfoy. Are you a first year?"  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"What kind of an answer is that?"  
  
"It's mine. Were you looking for something?"  
  
"An empty car. Would you mind if we imposed upon this one?"  
  
"We?" It was then that she noticed the two boys behind Malfoy. Or rather, giants. They stood both at least a foot taller than Malfoy, and they were heavily built, so they could have passed for sumo wrestlers back in Japan. She studied them for a moment and then said, "You can have that seat," and pointed to the one across from her. Without a word, they entered and sat, one of the others closing the door behind them. Malfoy sat directly across from her, near the window, and the other two were left to fend for themselves. It was then that Malfoy commenced his questioning.  
  
"So, when you said 'Not exactly,' what exactly did you mean?"  
  
"Just that."  
  
"Oh, come off it. You're either a first year or you're not. Just like you're either a pureblood or you're not."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Are your mum and dad both like us?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
"I don't know my parents. So naturally, I don't know if they were both m-... uh, a wizard and a witch."  
  
"Gee, that's too bad," Malfoy droned, but didn't sound as if he meant it. "So, anyway, how old are you?"  
  
Kentarre decided she was liking this boy less and less. "Fifteen," she replied curtly.  
  
"Really? I was sent my letter when I was eleven."  
  
"I wasn't in the country when I was eleven."  
  
"Well, where were you?"  
  
"I was... oh, let's see... I was in Egypt when I was eleven."  
  
"You moved to England from there?"  
  
"No. From there I moved to America, then Germany, then China, then Mongolia, then Japan. Then I moved to England."  
  
"And you've got no parents?"  
  
"I said that, didn't I?"  
  
"Uh-huh." He didn't really sound very believing, and Kentarre found she didn't really care.  
  
The conversation took a downturn from there, with Malfoy asking questions with increasing discomfort and Kentarre answering with increasing dislike. Finally, Malfoy announced smoothly, "Well, it's been nice chatting, but I think we're going to go and find an empty car. Thanks anyway."  
  
Kentarre sneered, "Anytime," at his retreating back, and watched with relief as on of his cronies closed the door behind them. *He's a complete idiot,* she seethed. *So naive, so confident, so utterly annoying it was making me nauseas. I'd better keep a close watch on him, because he's not one to be trusted.*  
  
Kentarre resumed staring out the window at the whizzing scenery and began to think about what Hogwarts should be like. She'd already seen a bit of it, and from what she could tell, living there would be quite an experience. *Why am I going to this place?* she wondered to herself. *What makes me drawn here? Do I have some purpose at Hogwarts? Does the headmaster know more than he lets on? Or am I simply going to be a pawn for him, now that he knows who I am? Hmmm. I'd better be careful. I don't want to be cornered, especially now that he's active again...* Her thoughts continued along this train with no further interruptions, save for the elderly witch who came by to sell food items off of a cart, which Kentarre declined.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the train reached the station with a screech of brakes and a whine of engine, Kentarre departed from it with her heavy black cloak flapping around her cheeks and legs in the evening wind and Nemesis clinging tightly to her shoulder. He hadn't liked the train ride too much, and she had decided to be merciful and let him out. Malfoy had noticed Nemesis during the train ride, and he had been only too happy to share the fact that his own eagle owl had been given to him as a gift from his father for making it to Hogwarts. However, his demeanor turned a shade lofty when she told him that Nemesis was a falcon, and was a match for any owl, even an eagle owl.  
  
A loud, booming voice rose above the noise of the shifting crowd. "Firs' years, over here! This way, firs' years!" The source of the shouts was Hagrid, the large man she had met on her first visit to Hogwarts. He had a gradually growing group of nervous-looking young people in tow, and he began to lead them away. Kentarre, because she was already carrying all of her luggage, climbed into one of the carriages that other students her age were boarding, and immediately it started off down the lane leading away from the station. Nemesis, who had before been chirruping at the other animals, specifically birds, in the busy station, now shifted on her shoulder and began to preen his feathers.  
  
The carriage brought them to the castle's front door, at which point Kentarre disembarked and began to ascend the steps, attracting many stares because of Nemesis, who was now ruffling his feathers and flapping his wings occasionally. The front doors were open, and Kentarre entered them to find herself in the same entrance hall she had been in before. Several students shed their coats and sweaters, swung them over their arms, and proceeded through another set of doors. These doors, just as wide as the first, were oaken and completely solid; they looked very heavy. Through these Kentarre passed and looked around passively. It was a long, brightly lit hall; four tables were placed parallel to each other in the center, and one more was placed perpendicular to these. Students were taking their places at the four center ones while the fifth was occupied by adults, and in the center of these was Professor Dumbledore. He appeared to have been watching the doorway, and when he spotted Kentarre and their eyes met, he rose from his chair and began to swiftly make his way towards her. He whispered softly in her ear, "Just wait over there, and I'll call you when it's time." She raised her eyebrow imperiously at him, even as he pulled away. "What have you got in mind?" she inquired. He simply smiled at her and answered, "You'll probably figure it out." Then he left her to her own conclusions and inferences. Not having else to do, she did as he bid her by leaning up against the wall to her left, drawn back into the shadows as not to be noticable.  
  
Soon the students' seating arrangement had been settled. A hush washed over the hall as Professor McGonagall led in a group of children; the same group that Hagrid had separated from the rest of them, Kentarre noticed. They were lined up facing the teacher's table, and a three-legged stool was placed in front of them. On the stool was placed a ragged, conical, patched, wide-brimmed hat. Everyone stared at it, and no one spoke or made a noise. A rip near the base of the hat, and from it a song could be heard. Kentarre couldn't catch all of it because of her position at the back of the room. This continued for a few minutes, and when it ended a wave of applause followed. Afterward came the interesting part; one by one, student's names were called from a long list. As their names were called, they would come up to place the hat on their heads and sit on the stool. After varying waiting periods, the hat would shout out a word, and according to which word was called, the student would sit at the corresponding table, which was usually clapping and cheering the hat's choice. This process continued, and Kentarre soon was able to distinguish which table was which.  
  
The students were soon all distributed between tables, but the hat on its stool was left in the same place on its stool. The headmaster took this opportunity to rise and say a few words, which he did. "Thank you all for your patience during the Sorting Ceremony," he began. "Before we begin with the feast, some announcements must be made. First of all, the Forbidden Forest is, as always, forbidden. Also, I have been informed that stricter punishment will be bestowed upon those students who choose to venture out of bed after hours due to the recent circumstances I am sure most of you are aware of." There was a pause, during which a whisper passed through the hall, and Kentarre "hmmph"-ed knowingly.  
  
Dumbledore continued, "Well, aside from those undesirable facts, there is only one more piece of business that must be taken care of. Kentarre, would you come up here, please."  
  
Kentarre, disgruntled that he had chosen now to do whatever he had wanted to do, obeyed, sauntering up to the teacher's table. She attempted not to go so fast as to force her hood off of her shadowed face as she made her way.  
  
When she arrived, Dumbledore instructed her to remove her hood and place the Sorting Hat on her head so she could be Sorted. Grumbling, she did so, and as she removed her hood, another whisper passed over the students. She noticed many of them talking behind their hands.  
  
The Sorting Hat fitted neatly right over her eyes, throwing her into total darkness. A small voice spoke in her ear, and she noticed that the room beyond had become very still. *Hmmm,* it said, *I've never Sorted one like you before in all my years of service to Hogwarts. Your race is very rare, as I'm sure you know. Hmmm, you're not known for loyalty, but you have good intentions. I see you have a desire to rise above the rest, to be greater. Very clever, yes, much intelligence and wit. However, you tend to fare better as a loner. Your gut feelings have served you well. So where shall I put you? I've got it. You're a GRYFFINDOR! As this last word echoed through the hall, the table on the far left erupted in cheers as she removed the hat and blatently walked to the table. Its occupants all sent her curious stares as she sat at a relatively vacant spot. She grumpily replaced her hood to the obvious disappointment of those of her classmates that hadn't gotten a good look at her yet. Dumbledore resumed his speech once she had gained her seat. "Now that that's taken care of, I presume there is no other pressing business to finish, so let us eat!"  
  
The gleaming, golden dishes before them were promptly filled with steaming, assorted substances. Crinkling her nose, Kentarre leaned in to sniff the dish in front of her with distaste. Leaning back, she resolutely remained still, never lifting her hand to serve herself, as others around her were doing. The person across from her spoke to her, "You're not going to eat?"  
  
"No," she replied shortly. He raised his eyebrows and continued to heap some of the substance onto his plate. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the boy beside her was cautiously sneaking looks at her while serving himself, and his friends beside him were doing the same. None of them were very good at it, and Kentarre remained painfully aware of it until the boy nearest her plucked up the courage to speak to her. "Hi," he intoned, and then waited for her reply. She inclined her head in his direction to show she heard him, but made no attempt for further conversation. Instead, to her dismay, he did. "You're name's Kentarre?" he asked. Both of his friends, like him, were gaping at her, ignoring their plates of food. Another inclination, this time in the form of a nod. "Mine's Harry, and this is Ron and Hermione," he stabbed again, and gestured to both of the people beside him. They smiled weakly, and one of them, Ron, asked her, "Are you going to eat?" Once again, her response was, "No."  
  
The boy Harry tried again. "Are you a first year?" Gosh, that dratted question again. "Not exactly."  
  
"I don't understand, either you are or you aren't." *Hmmm, that sounds familiar,* she mused. "You don't have to understand. It is the way it is."  
  
"Whatever. So, why did Dumbledore have you Sorted seperately, if you're not a first year?"  
  
"Why don't you ask him?"  
  
"Because we're in the middle of dinner."  
  
"Good. Then get back to your dinner."  
  
Kentarre thought that this might have sounded a bit harsh, but it was the only way she could think of to get him to stop asking questions, which he did. After that, he and his friends went back to their plates, and Kentarre to her account of the room and the people in it. Conversation was nearly incomprehensible because it was going on in all parts of the room. Kentarre could spot the Malfoy kid on the opposite side of the hall at the table that had been designated as the Slytherin table. She watched him for a while, but he never looked up at her.  
  
Very soon the banquet's course took a turn; all kinds of desserts imaginable began to fill the place of the first course's dishes. Kentarre once again looked on with disgust as the surrounding persons helped themselves.  
  
Every so often, a person would get up with the pretense of going to get another dish from the other end of the table, but very often they would go back to their end empty-handed. Each one stared at the back of Kentarre's head, as if they would see something spectacular on the hood of her robe. Usually, when Kentarre was in a crowd, it dulled her sense of being watched; this time, she was doubly aware of it. The hairs on the back of her neck were at a constant prickle. Her eyes darted around, and everywhere, she saw faces turned in her direction and eyes burning with curiosity. A few faces had expressions of distaste, and on one face she could detect the slightest traces of jealousy. The latter was the face of a person sitting on the far table; the girl had an upturned nose and shrewd eyes that made her look like a pug. Her face had a lofty, snobbish expression for the most part, save that tiny bit of jealousy. She was sitting next to the Malfoy kid, who was sneering and talking to his "friends" about something hidden under the table.  
  
Kentarre's upper lip curled at the sight of him now. *Somebody should really put that confident knucklehead in his place at the end of the line,* she thought with a snarl.  
  
By now, people had begun to finish their dessert; many people were leaning back and patting their full stomachs. Kentarre looked around with a glint of relief in her eye. Suddenly, she became uncomfortably aware of three pairs of eyes turned in her direction. Dreadfully, she looked to her right; there was the threesome, staring at her. She said sardonically, "That's one killer way to get someone's attention."  
  
Harry's eyes clouded. "Huh? Oh, you mean staring at you. Well, we were wondering if we could meet you back in the common room to just, you know, talk a bit before bed."  
  
She replied, "You're the Potter boy, right?"  
  
He looked uncomfortable, but nodded.  
  
Kentarre eyed him calculatingly. "All right, we'll talk. But I warn you, I'm not a conversationalist."  
  
Harry smiled. "You've proved that already."  
  
"Then why are you still talking to me?"  
  
He shrugged. "See you in the common room."  
  
Just then, Dumbledore rose again and motioned for silence, which was obtained after a moment. He spoke loudly, "Well, now that we are all fed and watered, I think that goodnights are in order. Everyone to bed!"  
  
The entire hall took to its feet immediately following this announcement and began to shuffle toward the door. Kentarre rose, but did not follow them. Instead, she fought her way to the teacher's table, where Dumbledore was still standing to watch them all go. She reached him, and he gave her a kind smile. "Is there something you wanted to ask me?" he asked benevolently. She merely said, "I've been asked many times, 'Are you a first year?'. Well, am I?"  
  
"Well, that is yet to be decided. I have concluded that you will be tested to determine which year you will be in." Dumbledore leaned in to whisper in her ear, "But you have to use your wand for this test. If you want to, you may just channel the magic through the wand without any incantation. This way it will look like you are one of us without you having to learn our ways."  
  
She intoned back, "I appreciate that, but it would be easier if I could do without."  
  
"Well, you see, that would cause for some speculation among the students, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"  
  
She glared at him, and his eye twinkled. "The test will be held tomorrow morning right after breakfast. After your year is determined, you will then join your classmates in the class they happen to be in at the time you finish the test. Oh, and by the way, the Gryffindor password is *Dragonfeather.* Goodnight, Kentarre."  
  
"Goodnight, Professor."  
  
With that, she pivoted and began to make her way toward the now- clear doorway. "Oh, and one more thing, Kentarre," said the headmaster from behind her. She paused to turn her head just a small increment. He smiled at her. "Good luck tomorrow," he said. She gave a shrewd smile. "Right," she agreed, and continued out of the hall.  
  
Now that she was out and back into the entrance hall, Kentarre breathed a sigh of relief and reprieve. *My problems aren't over yet,* she regretted. *They never are. Now I have to go talk to the Potter boy. This should be interesting...*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Gryffindor common room was furnished with squishy, red armchairs that were scattered throughout the room. A fire blazed in the grate, casting a warm, red glow about the place. Kentarre spotted Potter and his group in a corner by the window, huddled together and seemingly deep in conversation. Kentarre smirked and walked up. "Thank you for waiting," she said in a rather deep tone. Harry pulled away from the discussion and said, "Oh, you made it. What took you?"  
  
"I had some business to attend. Now, who are these whose acquaintance I have not made?"  
  
Harry gestured to each. "This is Fred and that's- wait, no, that's Fred, and that's George, Ron's older brothers, and this is their friend, Lee Jordan. Guys, this is Kentarre...?" An expectant look was sent her way. "Hisakata," she supplied. The one called Fred asked loudly, "Why don't you take off your hood? It's kinda warm in here." Kentarre gave him an icy stare, but obliged. Her pale, smooth skin looked almost rouged in the firelight. Everyone tried to look as though they were not staring at her, but Kentarre knew better. The moment was quite awkward; well, for everyone except Kentarre, who searched every face as though daring someone to ask how her hair got to be its metallic, silver color.  
  
The silence was shattered by someone at the center of the common room barking, "All right! We've had our party time, now it's time to hit the sack!!" Each head focused on the speaker, a skinny, pasty- faced, brown-haired boy who looked as though he could be twelve or eleven. Several people turned back to their occupations without a word, while others could be heard uttering derisive snorts and comments. One person asked, "Who are you?" The boy puffed himself up. "I'm the Gryffindor prefect, and you all are supposed to be following that order!" he tried to bellow, but it came out as a rather high-pitched screech. Kentarre herself couldn't help but watch in amusement as no one budged an inch. Suddenly, one person stood up. "Okay, guys, we really should go to bed, all right?" suggested the teen, and then he started for the boy's dorm. Several boys then began to follow suit. The prefect in the center stared gratefully at the leader before he disappeared up the stairs. Kentarre remained immobile as the boys in her group looked at each other before getting up to join the throng. A group of girls went the opposite way, heading off to the left instead of the right, like the boys.  
  
Kentarre watched them go with dread, knowing she would eventually be made to go with them. And so she did, gritting her teeth and steeling herself for the stares and unspoken questions that would soon follow. Little did she know how right she was, for when she arrived in the girls' dorm, a hush pervaded the room. Gleaming, curious eyes followed her every move. Kentarre could think of only one way to get rid of it. One by one, she locked eyes with the inhabitants of the room, making them look away in embarrasment. Kentarre chose to sleep in the bed that was closest to the window and farthest from the door, the one in the very rear of the room. The curtains on the canopy bed were drawn, and Nemesis's cage stood at the end of the bed. Nemesis himself was presumably outside catching an after-dinner snack, a mouse or other rodent. Kentarre drew out her bag from underneath her cloak, and this joined the mesh enclosure at the foot of the bed.  
  
Kentarre shed her cloak. She was revealed to be wearing a pair of very faded jeans and a blood red tank top. Minutes later, she was dressed in a pajama set that comprised of long, black, loose-fitting, wool pants and a similar sleeveless shirt. The entire set had embroidered silver stars scattered all over. Without much ado, she unceremoniously parted the curtains and passed between them, closing them firmly behind her. The long red drapes hid all activity within them, save for a bit of light that could be seen emitting from inside. Most of the others, who were wrapped in their own affairs, ignored this change and resumed their endless babble (as you probably know, girls like to babble).  
  
Presently, music could be heard from within Kentarre's canopy bed. All activity in the room came to a halt. From the sound of it, it was fast and had a rhythmic beat, much like that which could be heard from headphones that someone else is listening to. Hermione bravely approached Kentarre's bed. "Umm... Kentarre?" she said tentatively. No answer. She tried again. "What is that?"  
  
"What is what?" came the curt reply.  
  
"That music. What is it?"  
  
"It's just what you said it is. Music."  
  
"But, how are you listening to music? All electronic devices won't work if tried on Hogwarts campus."  
  
"Is that so? Thank you for sharing that, I'll be sure to note that in my log."  
  
"You didn't answer my question. How are you listening to that?"  
  
The curtains parted just a sliver. "Who said I was using electronics?" Kentarre pointed out, a bit rudely.  
  
Hermione flushed. "Well, it sounded as though you were using headphones."  
  
"That's right."  
  
Hermione paused, puzzled. "What?"  
  
"I am using headphones... well, sort of. Would you like me to show you so that we can both get some sleep?"  
  
Hermione nodded, and Kentarre opened the curtains a little wider. "See?" she said gruffly. She held out a pair of ordinary-looking headphones that were connected to- a ball of light? Hermione looked closer. The wire leading from the headphones disappeared right into the center of a glowing ball of light. "I modified it myself. The headphones are powered by magic. It's a little spell I sort of... concocted," Kentarre noted, hoping this would satisfy her. *Geez,* Kentarre thought, *what does she think I am, a people person??*  
  
Hermione, after getting a good look- or two- at the ball, looked at Kentarre and asked, "So, what are you listening to?" Kentarre said shortly, "My favorite radio station. Right now it's in commercial break. You should go to bed. First day of term tomorrow." Hermione nodded, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh, by the way, did you ever find out what year you're in?"  
  
"It's going to be decided tomorrow."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'll be tested."  
  
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow!"  
  
"Whatever. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
When Hermione had gone back to her own bed, Kentarre pulled the curtain sharply back into place. *Nosy people irritate me,* she fumed. Replacing the headphones, she activated the song that had been playing. Its familiar melody seemed to echo on and on, singing to her the very truth she had known for every waking moment of every day. Involuntarily, she found her mind singing along with it, wanting to embrace what she had so long rejected and hated.  
  
And then it was over. Kentarre removed the headphones and dissipated the ball of light. The end of the headphone wire fell to the bed with a muffled thud. Kentarre noticed that, though the lights were out, conversation still seemed to be going on. Whispered giggles and hushed gossiping could be heard going back and forth between the beds. Kentarre growled irritably to herself. *Geez, will this never end??* she wondered exasperatedly. Kentarre lay down and faced the left side of the bed, which was near the window. She could see that there was another part in the curtains on this side of the bed. Rising, she shoved it apart and found herself bathed in white light. The moon, a waxing gibbous, soothed her and calmed the tempest raging inside; the urge to throttle something had nearly disappeared now. She placed her feet on the hard, cold stone floor and walked to the window to look out. She saw that she was up in a tower, and that the view was unlike any other. The lake perfectly mirrored the moon, and the forest had been suddenly turned milky white. She opened the window to let some air in, which was chilly and clear. Leaning farther out, she could see other parts of the roof of the castle, which had been painted silver.  
  
The cry of a bird could be heard from somewhere nearby, and presently Kentarre could see Nemesis gliding toward her in the moonlight. His wings and body were also shaded by the moon's effect. He landed on the windowsill and chirped once. "Hello, Nemesis," she replied to his greeting. He jumped up to her shoulder and nudged her in a gesture which she took as affectionate. "You know," she thought aloud to the bird (but not too loud), "you and I are pretty well matched, neh?" Another nuzzle. She smiled. "Well," she murmured, "I'd better get to bed. I want to be ready for my 'test' tomorrow." Nemesis watched her sarcastic expression slowly fade from her face with one of sympathetic understanding on his. She looked at his features and laughed. "You can't stand them either, can you?" she asked. He plucked at his feathers in distaste. "I agree," she intoned. After a pause, Kentarre suggested that she say goodnight, and that he do the same. "I understand there is an Owlery. I want you to stay there tonight. Tomorrow you can go anywhere you want to, but you must understand that you can't come and see me in class, and especially not during the test." He gave her a look that said, "I know that already." She smiled. "Goodnight, Nemesis." He nipped her finger and took off once more. Watching him go, she smiled in spite of herself. *Well done, Kentarre. You made a good choice when you chose him.* But, she contradicted herself, she didn't really choose him; rather, vice versa.  
  
Kentarre slowly headed back to her bed, her footsteps completely inaudible. The bed was soft, and the pillow was deep. She had no trouble falling asleep, covered only by her cloak, which she had placed on the bed after removing it. Her slumber was uninterrupted and complete; nothing would wake her until the morn.  
  
  
  
And so concludes the second chapter of my story. I hope you find this one slightly more interesting than the last one! There will be more in the third chapter, "Rivals." I hope you will keep reading! Thank you!! 


	3. Rivals

Chapter 3: Rivals  
  
Kentarre awoke the next morning at the very first light. Her first thought was of the complete silence that pervaded the room. *So, they finally decided to can it for a while,* she thought, relieved. *I'd better take advantage of it while it lasts.* Slowly, with the stealth of a skilled burglar, she rose from her bed and began to dress. She then left the room and crept down the stairs, the bottom of which was quiet. As she emerged into the common room, she realized she had been holding her breath. Now she let it out with an explosive sigh as she saw there was no one in the chamber. A dim light from the window was all there was in the room, save for the still smouldering coals in the grate. Toward this walked she with the pretense of sitting down in the chair nearest it. On a whim, she leaned forward and passed her hand over the coals; a rather large fire now roared in the fireplace. Passing her hand again, the fire calmed to a considerable simmer, just enough to get some  
heat circulating in the room. Satisfied, Kentarre leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and her hands out in front of her. Absentmindedly, she stroked the back of her hands in thought. All there was left to do now was wait for the others to get up. *Though, when I think about it, I'd rather remain alone.*  
  
All too soon, she heard thundering footsteps come down the boy's staircase. A few boys that Kentarre didn't know soon emerged from their descent. They looked at her peculiarly and then left the common room through the painting covering the doorway. Presently, a few girls clattered down their stairs. Next came a few of both, but still no sign of Potter or his friends. The girl Hermione came down eventually, and she too sat down to wait.  
  
Harry came down the stairs then with his friend Ron in tow. They went to meet with Hermione before making for the painting. "Morning, Potter," said Kentarre, rather loudly so that he would be sure to hear her. He and his posse turned. "Oh, good morning, Kentarre. We were just going down to breakfast. Want to come?" said Harry politely. Kentarre gave a slight smile. "I think I'll take you up on that one, Potter," she replied.  
  
Soon they were in the Great Hall, surrounded by the same decor as the previous night, save for the floating candles. Breakfast comprised of eggs and kippers, which Kentarre did not touch. "I don't eat much," she said when asked why she wasn't. Harry asked her, "So, since you don't know what year you are, what have you got planned for this morning?" She answered, "I'm going to be tested to see which year I'm suited for." He raised his eyebrows. "A test on the first day? Bummer. If you end up in fifth year, you'll be in classes with us." She simply nodded.  
  
Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Professor McGonagall. "I'm to take you to the testing area, Kentarre. You aren't expecting any mail, are you?" Kentarre looked puzzled. "What?" she inquired. "Mail comes about this time of the morning," explained the professor. "You aren't expecting any, hmm?"  
  
"No, Professor."  
  
"Very well, then, let's go."  
  
Kentarre got up from her seat and followed the teacher, not even bothering to look back at Harry, whom she knew was looking after her. They left the Great Hall and took one of the corridors to the immediate right. Kentarre took deep breaths, dreading what was to come. *I don't want to use this,* she thought, thinking of her wand in her right sleeve. *These wizards' ways are going to drive me up a wall.* Professor McGonagall stopped at a door that led off of the main corridor. "This is the testing area. You may use only your wand. If you find yourself slipping into difficult areas, let us know, and we'll stop the test. Any questions?" Kentarre shook her head and went in the open door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few hours later, Kentarre walked into the classroom that she had been given directions to. As she entered, the occupants of the room looked up from their work. The teacher, the one called Professor Snape, gave her a sour look. Kentarre very nearly returned the glare, but resisted the temptation. Instead, she handed him the note from Professor McGonagall saying that she'd been assigned to this class at this time of the day. The professor took it and read it, distaste lining his features. He said, "Great. Another Gryffindor to add to my rollbook. You may have that desk, over in the corner." She made her way over to the designated desk, attracting stares from all over the room. "You all get back to your work," Snape snapped. Some of them did so, but a few others, particularly those whose expressions exactly matched Snape's, continued to stare. These Snape paid no attention.  
  
As Kentarre sat down, she recognized a few faces in the class, particularly those of Potter and both of his friends. She also spotted the Malfoy kid, whose expression was so smug it was nauseating. The latter caught her eye once, and then quickly turned away. Kentarre noticed the instructions on the board that were written in tiny scribble (probably on purpose) and immediately got out the corresponding ingredients for today's potion and her cauldron. She then began to prepare her ingredients, making sure to ignore the persons on either side of her, who were both staring her hard in the face.  
  
Kentarre quickly learned that potion-making was dull work, but, like most things, it was probably because she was not used to it. After all, this wizard business still continued to surprise her, though she had been living in it for several weeks now.  
  
Not soon enough, the bell rang. At once, Potter approached her. "So, you made it into fifth year?" he observed. Kentarre replied, "I qualified for seventh year, but they put me here because of my inexperience with a wand." Harry stared at her. Ron asked, "So how was it?" She answered, "All too easy."  
  
They walked to the next class, Herbology, which took place outside in the greenhouses. Professor Sprout, whom Kentarre recognized to be the person who had opened the front door for her the second time, met them at the door of the second greenhouse. "I've made some rearrangements," she began, "so there are a few more plants in here than there were last year. Come along."  
  
Greenhouse two was clearly bigger than it looked. Plants and trees lined the walls, and potted flowers and greenery littered the floors, tables, and space under the tables. There were climbing vines that laced the high ceiling and walls. The class drizzled slowly in. Professor Sprout shut the door with a snap that made a few of them jump. She then began the lesson. "All right, today we will be working with those big ferns over in the far corner. These are called Carkels. Now, can anyone tell me what a Carkel absolutely can't stand?" Hermione, only a few feet from Kentarre, zipped her hand up. "Yes, Miss Granger?"  
  
"They can't stand being too close to another plant of its own kind."  
  
"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. And can anyone tell me how the Carkel knows that one of its own is around? Yes, Miss Granger?"  
  
"They give off a kind of heat that no other plant produces," said Hermione, sounding like an auditory encyclopedia, "and it will tell if one of its kind is around by feeling for that heat."  
  
"Very good. Take five more, Gryffindors. What is so special about this heat, anyone?"  
  
Once again, Hermione leaped for the chance. "The heat is very good for sores or aches."  
  
"Correct, as usual. Five more points. Now, as Miss Granger was so kind to explain, this heat is very good for sore muscles and aching bones. Madame Pomfrey has been fighting tooth and nail for some for a few years now, but the Carkels weren't ready yet. Now that they are ripe, we will attempt to collect and solidify this heat into a liquid that will then be taken as a potion. You will collect the heat by attracting it with your wand and then depositing it into these wells." She gestured to several large, round, shallow buckets next to her on a table. "The wells will hold much more than it looks like they can, so fill them up! You will know when it is full when the heated air begins to glow green. You will work quietly in groups of four. Get into your groups and come get a well. You will use your dragonhide gloves."  
  
As the class followed her instructions, Harry came up to Kentarre and asked, "Do you want to work with us?" Kentarre replied, "If you wish it." Harry nodded. "We'll see you over there, then." Kentarre fetched her pair of black gloves from the sleeve of her robe and joined Potter, Weasley and Granger over by one of the larger plants.  
  
When Kentarre walked up to them, they were already collecting some with their wands. Very soon, Kentarre had joined in, gathering great lumps of glowing blue heat. Just as she was putting her first collection into the well, something else started to glow blue: her sign. Though it was not visible from outside of her gloves, Kentarre knew that familiar warmth that had nothing to do with the heat outside her glove. She stopped in surprise. *What's going on?* she asked herself. "What's wrong, Kentarre?" asked the Potter boy from behind her. She looked at him. "Oh, it's nothing," she dismissed, and deposited the heat in the well.  
  
The emblem on the back of her hand did not stop reacting all through the class period. Kentarre's eyes darted this way and that, making sure that no one noticed. Relieved as she was when the bell rang, she made sure to act naturally, walking swiftly as was her custom.  
  
The class then arrived at the next classroom, which was the man named Hagrid's hut. Hagrid himself was just outside the front door, tending to something that was inside a large crate. A group of other students stood outside as well; Kentarre recognized this bunch as the ones with whom Kentarre had had Potions class. When the Malfoy kid saw Potter, who was at the front of the class, he swaggered up and said loudly, "So, Potter, I see you've picked up a new friend." Potter retorted, "Yes, well I see that your crowd hasn't gotten any bigger." Malfoy acted as if he hadn't heard him and then turned to Kentarre. "You picked the losers, you know." Kentarre's eyes narrowed. "Well at least I didn't pick the slimeballs." Ron snickered, and Malfoy broke out in an angry red flush. "I'd watch it if I were you, Hisakata."  
  
"Ooh, yeah, I'd better watch it, I might be talking to one right now."  
  
"Actually, my father could have you expelled just like that," said Malfoy as he snapped his fingers for emphasis.  
  
"Your father doesn't scare me, boy. I've seen him before, and he just doesn't look the part."  
  
"My father's a very powerful man, Hisakata. He's got a lot of influence in the ministry of magic. Where're your parents?"  
  
"You know where they are."  
  
"Oh yes, that's right. You haven't got any. Well, you should talk to Potter here then. He hasn't got any either. Did yours get killed also? I never quite got the rest of that story."  
  
"Well, if you must know, I've never met them. I ofttimes find myself better off without them, like this time, because I don't need to hide behind rich parents. I can look out for myself, unlike some people."  
  
At this Malfoy bristled. He leaned closer menacingly. "I'd watch whose parents you insult, new girl. I wasn't fibbing about my father." He stormed away to rejoin his posse.  
  
Ron could only stare at Kentarre, and when he regained his voice, he said, "You were brilliant. Where did you learn insults like that?" Kentarre replied, "From a place I hope you never have to enter. Hagrid's ready." And indeed he was.  
  
"All righ', gather 'round now. I've got a special star'-o'-term surprise fer yeh. It's righ' here in this crate." Hagrid announced this news with the air of a newspaper man who has just recieved news of a scoop. The class crowded around to peer into the crate. Inside lay several small white balls of fluff that were each about the size of a lamb. Hagrid tapped on the side of the crate, and two of the creatures lifted their heads in curiosity. Their heads were nearly exactly like a lamb's head, but as the class got a closer look, one of them stuck its tongue out of its mouth. Its tongue was forked. Several class members jumped back in surprise.  
  
"These're wraiths," explained Hagrid. "They're nasty, deceivin' little things that change shape jest to lure people near. A lamb is the most common shape, but there're others. Fer instance, I heard o' one in Iceland that changed itself into a baby seal, and 'nother down in Egypt what turned itself into a cat! We'll be studyin' 'em for a few weeks, and I thought we'd git some so we can be doin' more hands-on studyin'. What d'yeh think, eh?"  
  
No one spoke up for a while, until a boy that Kentarre didn't know spoke up. He had an Irish accent. "I don't think they'd make very nice pets, them." This seemed to ease the tension just a bit, for an uneasy laugh escaped a few members of the class. Kentarre herself pushed to the front to get a better look inside the crate. One of the lambs turned its flashing, beady red eyes directly on her and held her gaze. Hagrid was saying something behind her, but Kentarre paid him no heed. The lamb's stare was almost intoxicating. Kentarre's face surely must have shown her angry bewilderment, for Harry nudged her in the shoulder and whispered, "What's wrong?" She looked at him, her previous countenance fading. "Nothing," she said, "it's nothing."  
  
This class also flew by rather swiftly. The lesson comprised mainly of taking notes on the wraiths' behavior while Hagrid shared more stories about the ones he had seen and heard of. One person was unfortunate enough to ask how he had procured these, which resulted in a story that lasted until the bell rang for the next class.  
  
As they walked away, Harry said, "You know, I think Hagrid's getting better at this teaching thing. We haven't had that interesting a class since the unicorns." Hermione agreed, "I know. You may be right, Harry. Maybe it just took him a while to settle into it." Ron wanted to know, "I wonder what those wraiths look like when they're not in disguise. Probably not very pretty, since they insist on wearing a costume every time someone comes around." Kentarre gave a half-smile. "I've seen one when it's not in disguise. They are pretty ugly." Ron brightened. "Really? What do they look like?" Still smiling, Kentarre answered, "Aww, come on now, you didn't really think I would spoil the surprise, did you?" Harry chuckled while Ron looked disappointed.  
  
Malfoy stayed away from them for the remainder of the day, except just before lunch period when he brushed roughly past Kentarre in a dignified huff. Harry and Ron snickered, and Hermione looked justified. "It's about time somebody put him in his place," said she. Kentarre agreed, "I'm almost sorry I had to be the one to do it, but I'm not."  
  
They proceeded into the Great Hall for lunch, which passed without incident. Kentarre looked upon the rest of the day with apprehension and resolve. *Soon my first day at this... school will be over. Time is swiftly slipping through my grasp. The day is almost gone. Will there be time to do what I came here to?*  
  
Harry spoke. "Are you all right, Kentarre?" he asked. She looked at him full in the face. "What makes you think there's something wrong, Potter?" she accused. He looked away. "Well, you were staring out the window."  
  
"Is there something wrong with that?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well then, don't ask."  
  
Harry looked embarrassed. Ron continued to eat his lunch, but continued to keep his gaze between Kentarre and Harry.  
  
The next class was Double Divination. The Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, was a spidery woman whose dress reminded Kentarre of something she had seen an old gypsy woman wearing. The room she taught in was stuffy and humid, very much like that of an attic on a summer day. The professor greeted them in a spider-like manner, appearing directly in front of the meager, perfumed fire with her arms spread outward from her thin frame. The glasses on her face made her seem even more like and insect, enlarging her eyes to roughly twice or even thrice their proper size. "Welcome, my children," she greeted in an airy voice. "How nice to see you once again in my realm. But there is one of you that I have only seen in my crystal. Kentarre Hisakata?" She looked pointedly at Kentarre. Kentarre took this opportunity to inspect this teacher more closely. She took a step forward to look Professor Trelawney straight in the eye. "The life you lead is one of devotion to your trade,  
Professor," Kentarre informed her, "but there may yet be some hope for you as a Seer." The professor eyed her beadily. "You are very perceptive, my dear. However, I must contradict you. I already am a skilled Seer." Kentarre put in, "Yet there is much that you do not See." At this, Kentarre lowered her voice. "You have watched me, but do you know what I posess? Do you know what I hide?" Professor Trelawney faltered for a moment, but then quickly recovered herself. "You are too young to be skilled in such matters. You are only a beginner. However, I have great faith for you, my dear," she said curtly, and then regained her place on her armchair nearest the fire. Kentarre watched her go with a smirk on her face. *If only you knew, Professor.* She then rejoined Harry, Ron, and Hermione at one of the round tables in the cluttered room.  
  
Harry leaned in to ask her, "What was all that about?" Kentarre whispered back, "It's nothing of importance. I merely made a phony prediction, and she bought it." Upon hearing this, Ron began to cough, a cough that sounded much like a disguised guffaw. The professor looked at him sharply, but said nothing. Instead, she slowly stood, making herself as tall and impressive as possible. "My dears," she began, "this semester we will begin the second part of your training with the crystal. Those of you who have not yet Seen anything in your crystals should now be able to see faded shapes, while those of you who have Seen will move on to more distinct shapes. We will also begin to study the patterns and movements of not only the planets, which was in our last lessons, but of the zodiacal cycle as well. You will learn the zodiac and be able to make predictions according to what position the stars are in. Are there any questions?"  
  
Kentarre replied under her breath, "Yes, I have a question. Is there any real magic in this course?" Harry told her, "I can answer that. None at all. It's just guesswork."  
  
"Ah. It's as I suspected. The amateurs learn from the phony expert. I've taken courses like this before."  
  
"What did you take?"  
  
"Music. In the end, I learned how to actually get a note out, but not from the teacher."  
  
"What did you play?"  
  
"Reed pipes. I can now play just about anything on them, but I had to teach myself."  
  
"Did you bring them with you?"  
  
"Well, I couldn't very well leave them where I was staying."  
  
"I'd like to hear you play them."  
  
"I was planning on staying up late tonight to do some thinking. If you want to stay in the common room for a bit later than usual, I'll play for you then."  
  
"All right."  
  
The professor had been chatting with the girl called Parvati, but now she called for silence. "Your crystals are in front of you. You will now attempt to See. I will now expect for you to See something, anything, in the crystal. No excuses, no stories. Get started."  
  
Kentarre leaned forward to peer into her cloudy crystal. Clearing her mind of thought like *Why am I doing this?* and *This is stupid*, she attempted to make some sense from the cloud shapes. Gradually, something dark began forming in the center of the clouds. This dark shape divided into two and slowly shaped itself into two identical shapes. All at once, they were shoved into view, assuming color and depth. Kentarre's face hardened as she stared into a pair of familiar eyes. "Very good," said a wispy voice right in her ear. Kentarre replied, "I didn't think I'd actually See something. But I should've known."  
  
"Who is it, dear?"  
  
"He is one I knew well, one of my former colleagues."  
  
"Was he close to you?"  
  
"No closer than any of the others. In fact, I believe that the farthest one from me was he. He kept many secrets that should've been shared."  
  
"I see. Is there any meaning in Seeing him today?"  
  
"No more than if I were to See him tomorrow."  
  
"Very well. Well have you done. That will be all for today."  
  
The professor walked away to inspect someone else's crystal, saying absentmindedly, "Focus in on that shape, dear, it seems to be the clearest."  
  
Harry and Ron simultaneously leaned over to look at her crystal. The shape disappeared into the swirling clouds of everlasting mist. Harry looked at her. "What was it?" asked he. She told him, "A pair of eyes. Nothing more."  
  
"Whose eyes?"  
  
"Ones of an acquaintance."  
  
"Oh. What was all that about?"  
  
"With the professor? Oh, she was just telling me that I had done well and that I didn't have to try to See anything else today."  
  
"Are you going to?"  
  
"Do panthers lay eggs? I'm not going to pass up a chance to do nothing in class."  
  
"Good plan."  
  
"I try."  
  
As soon as the bell rang, Kentarre hurriedly got her books and sped out the door at a swift walk. Harry and Ron followed somewhere behind her with the rest of the class.  
  
Kentarre then passed an enormous open window, and a piercing cry echoed throughout the hall. In from the window zoomed a small mass of dark brown feathers that collided with Kentarre's right side, nearly knocking her into a suit of armor nearby. "N-Nemesis!" she cried in surprise and, just a little bit, anger. "I told you you couldn't come and visit me, you big baby!" The bird at her side whimpered a small whimper, and Kentarre's demeanor softened. The class caught up with her then, and, hearing the cries from round Kentarre's middle, stopped to see what was up. "Aww, what kind of bird is he?" asked Parvati. Nemesis glared up at her, and Kentarre replied shortly, "He's a falcon." The class crowded around the small but tenacious bird and its owner. Feeling a bit edgy, Nemesis began to flap his wings in annoyance at all the extra and unnecessary attention. Suddenly, he took off and flew out the same window he came in. Harry came up to Kentarre. "I didn't know you had a  
falcon."  
  
"Apparently, neither did any of the spectators," she replied drily. Harry chuckled, as did Ron. Ron asked, "What did you say his name was?"  
  
"His name is Nemesis."  
  
"Peculiar."  
  
"I found it suited him. C'mon, we're being left behind." Kentarre started off silently down the hall with her bag now reslung on her back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that evening and after dinner, most of Gryffindor house sat in the common room, talking amongst themselves and mulling around before deciding to retire. As for Kentarre, she sat by the window, staring outside and slowly stroking Nemesis, who sat on her lap with his eyes closed in bliss. At her feet sat a small, blue, velvet drawstring bag which contained her reed pipes. She would have had them out by now if they wouldn't have attracted too much attention. Gosh, she hated attention.  
  
Harry was nowhere in sight. Kentarre had not even bothered to go to dinner, so she assumed that he was still there. Nemesis gave a soft coo in pleasure, and Kentarre smiled amicably down at him. He nuzzled against her hand, and she ran her forefinger across the top of his head. "You and I really are a perfect match, aren't we?" she told the falcon. He opened his brown eyes and gazed blissfully up at her. His eyes locked with hers for a long moment, and the two almost seemed to share thoughts.  
  
Finally, after a long wait, Potter showed up, closely followed by Hermione and Ron. They immediately headed in Kentarre's direction. "Do you want to move closer to the fire?" asked a shivering Hermione. "No. There are far too many people around the fire already."  
  
"Harry told us that you would play your pipes for us after everyone else went to bed," input Ron.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is that them?" he asked, pointing to the bag at her feet. She nodded, but stopped him when he made to pick up the bag. "I don't want to take them out just yet. There are still people around."  
  
Ron marveled, "You really don't like people, do you?"  
  
"They ask too many questions."  
  
This seemed to provide for a nice, round silence. Hermione stretched her hand out tentatively toward Nemesis, and Kentarre nodded, keeping his beak in check while Hermione smoothed his back feathers.  
  
Presently, the room emptied of the last late-nighters, who bid them goodnight as they left the room. Kentarre's three compadres blinked at her expectantly while she picked up her drawstring bag. The pipes slid smoothly out of the bag and into her awaiting palm, gleaming in the low firelight.  
  
Kentarre lifted the pipes to her lips and began to play, first a slow, eerie melody that rose into a crescendo and filled the room. Gradually, she worked her way into that familiar melody of the song that had been played to her and for her for most of her life, the only song that told the story of what she had been through. Wordless, it meant nothing to the ignorant ears of those who were listening, but to Kentarre, it was truth, the only real truth she had ever been shown. Its melody rose and fell with the line of the story that ran through Kentarre's mind. Gradually, this melody wove itself out of her song, to be replaced by a new one, just as familiar, but not as personal. On and on the melody flowed from the entwining of fingers, breath, and tone. Finally, the last note came, drawn from her very last bit of air before fading into nothingness.  
  
Silence. Then a spoken word. "I think there would be some applause in store for that if it wouldn't wake the entire castle," said Ron. "I think simple verbal praise will suffice," said Hermione matter-of-factly. "It was wonderful, Kentarre."  
  
"Hear, hear," agreed Harry. "You taught yourself to play like that?"  
  
"What choice did I have? My tutor, as I said, was a complete idiot. No brains or musical intuition whatsoever. How else would I learn?"  
  
"Well, it was nice, Kentarre. We really should be off to bed. It's nearing one."  
  
"Very well. Goodnight. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this to anyone else."  
  
"Why?" asked Ron.  
  
"Well, let's just say that I don't want any more attention than I've already drawn. Fair enough?"  
  
"All right. Goodnight, all."  
  
They all filed up to their respective dormitories. Hermione went immediately to her bed, as did Kentarre. But before she went to sleep, Kentarre had a little business to attend to. If one of the girls in the room had been awake at this time, they would have seen Kentarre look about warily, then disappear into her canopy curtains. If they looked on, they would have detected five small sources of light that appeared behind Kentarre's curtain. Inside the curtain, the light took the form of five floating spheres, each one with a different image inside. Upon these images Kentarre gazed, her hands alight with blue markings, until, appearing satisfied at what she had seen, she extinguished the spheres one by one, until her bed was once more thrown into darkness black as pitch. After that, all was still in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory as Kentarre slept, once more covered by her black cloak.  
  
Well, this is the end of the third chapter of my story. Stick around for the fourth chapter, "Differences." I think that sometime soon I'm going to write a chapter from Harry's point of view, like Rowling does in the books. Hope you read that one too! (By the way, I'm open for constructive criticism anytime now!!!) 


	4. Differences

Chapter 4: Differences  
  
  
  
These next few weeks passed without much incident. A few new patterns, however, were unmistakeably picked up. For instance, it seemed that every time Kentarre met Malfoy, whether in the hall between classes or outside during break or in the Great Hall for a meal, in the end, he would walk off in a huff leaving Kentarre staring after him with a rather smug expression on her face. She began to look forward to her next meeting with him, and found herself cooking up insults to throw at him in her spare time. Sure, the insults he tossed about were scalding enough, but they didn't quite procure the same results as hers did, as she was sure he noticed. Harry, of course, was always nearby to hear her argue with Malfoy; he clearly enjoyed it as much if not more than she did.  
  
Malfoy, though struggling to beat Kentarre in a constant verbal battle, seemed to have little triumphs of his own. The Potions Master Snape seemed to favor Malfoy over the rest of the Slytherins, who seemed to be his favorite bunch. The Gryffindors were always given a hard time in Potions class while the Slytherins were allowed more leniances for pleasure. This did not hinder Kentarre, however; she continued to stare at the Potions master with her annoying I-know-something-you-don't-know look. This seemed to irritate Snape very much, and he was constantly calling her out in class to tell her to stop staring at him and get to work. She usually obliged with a smirk, knowing that she had gotten his goat. *He's extremely paranoid,* she noted. *Wonder what he's hiding.*  
  
Other than her regular Judgement Day Potions classes, the only thing that seemed to have changed was the school's attitude about her. She was attracting less and less stares in the halls because of her silver hair. She, of course, had asked the headmaster if she would be permitted to wear her cloak all the time, but he refused to allow that for democracy's sake. Sure, people could still be heard talking about it occasionally, especially Malfoy, who thought it was freakish, but she paid them no mind. Malfoy once asked her what planet she was from, to which she replied, "Pick a planet. Any one will suffice, just as long as it's not the same one you came from."  
  
However, the normal routine was interrupted one day in October. This day, naturally, was Halloween. The Great Hall was being decorated with several hundred live bats to litter the ceiling, while jack-o-lanterns had the same effect on the floor. The house ghosts were also decked out for the festivities, now popping out of the walls more and more frequently to scare students. Kentarre herself had this experience and made the mistake of continuing to walk indifferently. Incidentally, she walked right through the ghost of the Fat Friar and came out shivering like a weed in a buffeting wind.  
  
Lunch for that day was quite festive, though Kentarre was not feeling quite hungry enough to take part. She did, however, pull apart a few trick wizard crackers with Harry and Ron. Inside they found several noisemakers that made noises such as witch cackles, ghost cries and cat meows. Ron insisted on keeping one that occasionally screamed. Inside another cracker were two pumpkin pasties that turned out to be hiding several Knuts each buried in the crust.  
  
Classes that day were, to be honest, quite interesting. Professor Flitwick had decorated his classroom with several of his own jack- o-lanterns that were illuminated by large flame lizards that were trapped inside near the candle. The lizards would crawl around, making the light seem to move from one place to another and giving it a very eerie effect. Hagrid's class with the wraiths proved also enjoyable. Hagrid had persuaded the wraiths to show their true form for a few moments at a time, and the class watched them change from being a green, scaly, toothy, five- foot lizard to a lamb, a kitten, and even a baby bluejay. They had to close the crate top because the wraiths in lizard form were adept climbers. Potions was, of course, the same as always. Snape's dungeon was beginning to chill down with the oncoming cold weather, and the class was glad that today's potion involved a fire. Everyone, that is, except for Neville. Kentarre had met Neville, and she found him to be rather weak. He had been having severe trouble in Potions class, especially with Snape. Harry told her that this happened all the time, and as Kentarre watched, she did notice a kind of routine in Neville's troubles. When Neville botched up a potion, Snape would supply some kind of rude, scathing remark to throw at Neville and then tell him to clean it up.  
  
It was during dinner that evening that the day began to enter its series of surprises. First, the resident ghosts of Hogwarts, accompanied by others, put on a show of a kind of acrobatics near the ceiling. Then dinner was served, and everyone talked and laughed over a variation of etouffee and assorted vegetables. Dessert came, bringing to the table several kinds of cake that were all frosted in orange and black and savory hard candies that were shaped like pumpkins and candied and caramel apples. After all the dessert was cleared away, Dumbledore got to his feet. The hall gradually reached relative quiet, and Dumbledore smiled benevolently. "Well, I must say, that was a rather good feast, what what?" he began. A rumble of approval echoed in response. He continued, "I have a rather stirring announcement to make. We are graced with the presence of a new teacher. Professor Jycein," he motioned to a person that was sitting at his left, and the hall craned its collective neck to get a look at him, "is the latecoming teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was unable to endear himself to us before now, but he will now join us for the remainder of the school year."  
  
The said professor was lean, bright-eyed and dark-haired. He wore no spectacles, and his skin was smooth and darkly toned. He cast a shrewd eye around the hall, pausing here and there on certain people. His eyes passed directly over Kentarre, as if he didn't see her. *Good,* she thought to herself. *He doesn't perceive me. I thought for a moment that maybe he would. I thought he might be one of those-* Suddenly, his eyes paused in their course and diverted right back to stare at Kentarre. She stared back at him with the stare of a hawk. *This is just great,* thought she. *I wonder just how much he knows.*  
  
Harry leaned over to ask her in a whisper, "Why is he staring at you?" Kentarre replied with clenched teeth. "Because he doesn't know what's good for him. I've found him out just by staring at him."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione rather loudly.  
  
"Shhh. He's giving away all kinds of secrets. Look."  
  
They all did. "Uh... I'm not seeing anything," said Ron after a few minutes. "With his eyes," Kentarre supplied. *I wish he would stop staring at me.* Suddenly she could feel even more pairs of eyes on her. *It appears that the rest of the hall have noticed whom he's staring at. Grrrrr...* Just then, Dumbledore finished saying whatever it was that he was saying and culminated his speech, "And now, it's time for bed. Goodnight!" Everyone began to shuffle toward the door.  
  
Harry spoke to Kentarre. "So, what kinds of secrets did he tell you by staring at you?" She replied, "Nevermind."  
  
"No, I want to know."  
  
"You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you don't need to know yet."  
  
"How do you know so much?"  
  
"Why do you think I'm so different from everybody else?"  
  
"I... I don't know, and I don't suppose you're just going to tell me either."  
  
"You're correct in that inference, pal."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night, Kentarre played for Harry, Ron and Hermione again. This time, she sat for a while just to remember the people for whom these songs were made. Then she began to play. She played thoroughly one melody, then another, just as thorough, then another, just the same. All in all, she went through five melodies, each one just as pure as the last, and each one ringing out in clear tones that were like an angelic voice, one voice that rose above everything and drifted through and around the very air itself. The last note came, faded and suspended, finally tapering into nothingness. Harry asked her, "What was the name of that song?"  
  
"That was a combination and blending of many songs. As you probably noticed, it had five melodies." Kentarre could tell by their faces that they hadn't noticed, but she simply smiled and let it pass. "Those songs actually have a little background to them. The first song symbolizes all that we do not understand. It tells of the constant puzzlement of mankind about the wonders and secrets of the universe. It also tells us of the great enigma of life as we know and do not know it. The second song voices the sweetness of living in this predesigned world of ours that gives us many joys and graces. It is like a bell that rings out the goodness this land and this planet provide for us. The third song, the evening song, tells that though this land is beautiful and good, it must someday come to an end. Nothing lasts forever, as I'm sure you've noticed, not even the ground beneath your feet which seems so solid; it will all cease to exist one day, whether you are ready or not. The fourth song brings news of the trials and hardships of mankind and its posterity. Everyone has troubles, and this song combines the solemnity of them all in a single melody, singing out that though we have made mistakes, taken wrong roads, and poisoned our hearts with talk of riches and greed, we withstand the consequences and carry on. The fifth song reminds us that, though we have troubles and sorrows, life is something to be enjoyed. It encourages us to make merry when the road becomes harsh and cold, to be cheery when an impossible task is placed before us, and to always remember that though conditions may take a turn for the worse, it's never quite as bad as you think it is. Problems are only as insurmountable as you make them out to be. Very good advice, in my opinion. Of course, you shouldn't be overly frivolous, but, well, you know." All three of them looked pensive for a while, until Ron spoke up. "Where did you come across these songs?"  
  
"Well, that's an interesting question. I'd have to know why you are asking to know what kind of answer you want."  
  
"I just want to know where you learned them."  
  
"I learned them from my tutor and friend, Tolus the bard."  
  
"A bard taught you?"  
  
"Everything I needed to know. It was he who started me on those abominable music lessons I told you about."  
  
"Why didn't he teach you music?"  
  
"His expertise was literature. He didn't feel that he would be right for it. Of course, he was more right for it than that other teacher..."  
  
"Well, he knew enough about music to teach you those songs," input Hermione.  
  
"Those songs were engraved upon his memory forever, he said. Nothing could take that away from him. They were also the only songs that were impressed upon him so. He said that I'd know why he taught them to me in time. I do now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Those songs are ones of expression, as you may or may not have noticed. Self-expression. I discovered long ago whose stories those songs tell."  
  
"And who are they?"  
  
"Five truly remarkable people that I still hold dear to my heart. Well, it's time for bed. There have been enough questions asked for tonight." They were just creaking to their feet when there came a tapping on the window. It was Nemesis, and he seemed to be carrying something. Hermione's brow furrowed. "I didn't know you could train falcons to carry mail." Ron muttered, "Congratulations, you've found something she doesn't know." Kentarre grinned and said, "I didn't train him to carry mail. He's never done it before now."  
  
When she unlatched the window and opened it, the falcon swooped in to land on the arm of its silver haired owner. Kentarre took his package, a rather large one for a bird his size. "You sure this wasn't too much, Nemesis?" she asked him concernedly. He ruffled his feathers as if to say that he could handle it. She smiled in a relieved way, and bade him goodnight. He glided back out the window, presumably heading to the Owlery for a snooze. Kentarre had noticed that he didn't seem to like the Owlery too much, probably due to the fact that it was occupied by a few too many owls.  
  
The package was a large envelope that was sealed with lightning blue wax. Kentarre immediately knew where it had come from and decided against ripping it open there and then. "Might I suggest that we continue on our way?" she hinted. The others looked at each other, then looked at the package, then looked at Kentarre. However, they did not ask, but silently made their way to their respective dormitories. Hermione, as usual, went directly to bed, and once Kentarre heard her steady breathing join that of the other inhabitants, she also climbed behind her curtain. Procuring a light from her left palm, she set it to hovering and opened the envelope. Inside were five letters, all signed by different people. One by one, each was read by the glow given off by the sphere. Kentarre's face grew more and more solemn as each report was read. The last one reached the pile with the others. Kentarre stared into space for a moment, completely immersed in concentrated thought. Her brow slowly furrowed as she came to one conclusion and then another. Her eyes began to stray as though looking for some other sign to help her put all the pieces of this puzzle together. Her gaze finally fell on the pile of letters, the ink shimmering faintly in the dim glow.  
  
Kentarre gathered up the letters and stowed them away in a secret compartment she had created in her bag. After they were hidden, she extinguished her light and went to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day at breakfast, nearly everyone was checking their schedules to see when they would have a class with the new teacher. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kentarre would have him on Thursday just after lunch. Ron painedly reminded them that it was only Tuesday, and everyone groaned- all except Kentarre. She had been watching this new teacher ever since breakfast began, and, of course, saw nothing unusual, except that he seemed to be avoiding her eyes. Last night, no one had been able to summon the courage to ask her why Professor Jycein had been staring at her, and she probably wouldn't have answered them even if they had. The truth was, she didn't have a clue why, but something told her that the first class with him would provide some answers. So she waited.  
  
Divination classes were growing increasingly more monotonous. Each visit was the same; Trelawney would supervise and give encouragement and critisism where it was due in her airy, annoyingly superior voice. *That old bat obviously hasn't a clue what she's doing,* thought Kentarre grumpily one day after just being told that her Sight was slowly improving, but that she needed to work diligently at it. *This is complete bogus. What we need is a real professional, not some avid believer. I could probably teach these people in three months what she's managed to teach them in three years. Geez, what a waste of time.* Kentarre was not one to be overly self-exploiting, but this, in her opinion, was utterly ridiculous. *After all,* she thought, *the concept of fate itself was conceived by those who wanted to control it, not accept it. But this woman actually believes that fate and destiny are things to be accepted, not maneuvered. And that is why this class is bogus.*  
  
Potions classes hadn't changed at all; Snape was nasty, Malfoy was cocky, and the potions they were concocting were growing increasingly more precise. Kentarre noticed that Neville wasn't looking that well, and as for the other Slytherins, well, they were simply following Snape's unpleasant lead. Kentarre, on the other hand, had a lot to think about, so she didn't pay much attention to anything degrading Snape or Malfoy said. Instead, she concentrated on two things: the potions and her own jumbled thoughts about what had been told her in those letters she had received on Halloween night.  
  
Other than those few classes that Kentarre thought that she wouldn't exactly die without, Thursday seemed to slowly creep closer at an irritating pace. But it had to come sometime, and come it did.  
  
The rumored morning came, and during breakfast, no one mentioned the infamous class that would take place later that afternoon. Instead, the topic was on some other new development. "You know," began Harry, "the new Quidditch season is about to start. Wood has just informed the team that we will begin practice this evening." Hermione frowned. "That's a little early, don't you think?" she inquired. Harry explained, "Well, he says that because the game was completely cancelled last year, our skills have probably been a little weak, so he wants to get an early start just to make sure we haven't forgotten how to fly." Ron put in, "I don't think that'll be a problem with Fred and George. They've been in the air all summer. They only came down to eat."  
  
The hours trickled by one at a time. Just as Kentarre thought that she was going to go mad with anticipation, the bell rang for lunch. Kentarre, as usual, touched nothing, preferring to stare intently at the now-familiar face at the teacher's table. *There's something about him... I can't put my finger on it. I noticed it on Halloween night, and I sense it now. What is it? Why do I feel like I've sensed it before?* The questions in her head continued to mount, her angry confusion intensified, and the minutes drizzled by. Professor Jycein not once did catch her eye, and it was a lucky coincidence, for a greater man than he would have faltered under such scrutiny.  
  
Another tone of the bell, and all the students began to file out of the Great Hall to resume their schedules. Kentarre almost bolted from her chair and whisked away out of the Hall at her customary breakneck pace, slipping the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder as she went. *Finally,* she exulted. *I'll finally get the answers I crave.*  
  
The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom looked very familiar. Kentarre had tried to take detours to look inside it on the way to other classes. Much like the rest of the school, she was curious about this new teacher. One of the Gryffindors she had caught pondering aloud about what would happen on their first lesson. His spoken thoughts dwindled mostly on the fact that the professor had stared at Kentarre for several minutes during the Halloween feast. Most students, she found, however, had a different opinion that had nothing to do with Kentarre. "Isn't kinda weird that he showed up on Halloween?" asked Parvati to her best friend Lavender. "Yeah," replied Lavender. "I wonder if there was a reason for that." Kentarre herself, however, had yet another inference, and hers was based more on fact than on guesswork. Her theory was conceived from the letters that had been sent her and the fact that he showed up the very same night. It had nothing to do with Halloween; simply that there was something about him that made her think that he was the same guy mentioned in the letters, and each letter mentioned the same person.  
  
When Kentarre arrived at the classroom, there was already a fairly large group of people milling around in the hall. Kentarre placed herself a good distance away from them and leaned against the wall to wait for the guest of honor, who showed up not long after.  
  
Professor Jycein unlocked the door and the class filed in after him, no one daring to breathe a word. Everyone found a seat; Kentarre, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all went to one side near one window.  
  
The professor situated himself at his desk before beginning class. Shaking his inky bangs off his forehead, he looked around at each person much the same as he had done at the banquet. His eyes flashed with something akin to eagerness when he found Kentarre's face. He began, "Good afternoon, people. I don't think I need to go into all that introduction stuff, so let's cut right to it. This year you will work. You will be covering several areas of this class, which will be accompanied by several rigorous tests." Most of the class groaned, and Professor Jycein replied with a smile, "Geez, it's overwhelming how much you like tests. Anyway, I think I should lay down a few of the guidelines of this class. Most of the material will be hands-on, so you won't be needing your books for the majority of the time." Harry glanced at Hermione and Ron and muttered, "Kinda reminds you of Moody, huh?" The other two nodded solemnly, but Kentarre said nothing. She hadn't even heard. She was staring harshly at the man at the front of the room as though she wanted to bore holes in his eye sockets, but he didn't seem affected by her gaze. Instead, he continued on with his introduction. "I want you all to know that I will tolerate discussion so long as it pertains to the lesson and only if it is directed at me. You will not gossip with each other and say that you are studying because there will be a punishment if you are not. Any questions?" Silence. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other. Okay, since we appear to have no further business, I'd like to announce today's lesson."  
  
The lean professor went to the board and wrote one chalk word: Hybrid. Setting the chalk down with a sharp chink, Professor Jycein faced the class. "The first lesson is about hybrids, and we will be studying the different types of hybrids during the course of the next month or so. Now, can anyone tell me what a hybrid is?" Hermione's hand leapt up. "Yes?" he asked her. "A hybrid is a cross-breed between two different species," she answered. "Very good. Five points to Gryffindor. Next question. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a hybrid and a mixed breed?" Once again, Hermione leapt at the chance, and was once again called upon. "A hybrid is a cross of only two, and a mixed breed can be more than two."  
  
"Correct. Take another five, Gryffindor. Now, pay attention, all of you, because I'm about to tell you how you can tell the difference between the two by sight."  
  
They proceeded to take notes until the bell rang. The class shuffled toward the door, Kentarre with them. "Hisakata," came a voice from behind her. It was Jycein. She turned. "I'll be late, Professor."  
  
"Nevermind that. I want a word." Kentarre warily padded up to his desk. "Sit down," he offered. "I'd rather stand," she replied coldly. He shrugged. "Whatever. Listen, I'm sorry I may have caused some rumors on Halloween. I guess I just didn't expect to see you here." Kentarre cocked one eyebrow. "You know my face?" she inquired.  
  
"I've seen you a few times. You don't recognize me, though."  
  
"You are correct. That brings me to another question. Since you've seen me before, do you know about who I am?"  
  
"I know what kind of magic you use, yes."  
  
"Then why were you not expecting to see me here? Surely you know my business."  
  
"No, I do not, and that's why I didn't expect it."  
  
"Good. This means that I can opt not to tell you why I'm here."  
  
"Well, I figured you weren't here to learn magic."  
  
"Of course not, baka. And I'm not going to tell you why I am here, so don't bother asking."  
  
"All right, then. That will be all. I'll write you a note."  
  
Outside the classroom in the vacated hall, Kentarre underwent an internal explosion. *Who does he think he is, putting me through an interrogation?! He's really starting to piss me off!* Her thoughts continued on this train all the way to her next class, Divination.  
  
Kentarre's mood did not improve with the soothing vapors of the Divination classroom. "Ah, Kentarre, dear," simpered Trelawney. "I would like to talk to you for a moment. Please follow me to the inner recesses of my chamber." Once the spidery woman's back was turned, Kentarre cocked one eyebrow but followed, distrust littering her questioning features. Once they were behind the heavy velvet drapes, Trelawney turned her spotlight eyes on Kentarre. "I should tell you right now, Kentarre, that I find your profound skills in the art of Seeing very extraordinary. Your Sight is more impressive than even the most talented of my students, even the seventh years. I congratulate you." Here she paused, waiting for a grateful reply. "Well," said Kentarre, "I have to ask you something." Trelawney, clearly put out about not having been thanked for her immense compliment, tried not to look it and replied, "Yes, what is it?"  
  
"Well, it's nothing really important, I just need to know if you have been Seeing me in your crystal."  
  
"Oh, now and then. As you well know, one never knows what one will see when one looks into the crystal."  
  
"Of course. Well, when you looked, did you see anything unusual?"  
  
"Why do you ask, dear? Are you afraid I might See something that you wish to remain a secret?"  
  
"There is nothing I do that I would not wish to be seen by anyone." Kentarre straightened her robe. *She's perceptive for a twittery old bat,* she mused. "I was just curious," she said aloud, trying to sound nonchalant. Apparently she succeeded, because Trelawney nodded her head and continued with her own subject. "Well, if it's all right with you, I'd like to put you on a different lesson. You appear to have learned all I am teaching these pupils, and I think it unfair for you not to learn as many new things as they are. I noticed that on the test you took at the beginning of the year, you scored very high on the Divination area. I will look at the results of that test, and then I will decide what lesson to give you. Would that be all right with you?" Trelawney widened her eyes, if possible, in anticipation of her answer. Kentarre replied, "I will take this new lesson, but do not be surprised if I do well in that lesson too. I have had much training in this area, and there is not much that you can teach me. But I will take it on." The spidery professor seemed slightly taken aback at Kentarre's discreet hint, but she merely nodded and asked Kentarre to follow her back out into the "main chamber" to resume class.  
  
Their next class, Transfiguration, was by far the most contradicting of the day. Hermione answered the questions asked by McGonagall, and they took notes. Then they were given their assignment, which was to turn a frog into a salamander. The room was soon full of aggravated shouts at escaping frogs. At one point, Neville began calling plaintively across the room to the professor; his toad, Trevor, had leapt from his pocket and was somewhere around the room. "What if someone's already turned him into a salamander?" he whimpered. "How will we know it's him?" Moments later, Ron found the puffed toad having what looked like a heated argument with one of the fugitive frogs in between the wastebasket and Professor McGonagall's desk. Both the toad and the frog were returned, and class went on. Kentarre hadn't been faring too well; her frog was rather small, and didn't seem to want to stay still. Kentarre ended up looking around carefully and putting a sleeping spell on him... sort of. The frog was soon snoozing, and then she turned him into a rather convincing-looking orange colored salamander. She then sat down and kept an eye on him just in case he woke up. McGonagall noticed her position and walked over to see her salamander. The elderly teacher peered closely at the salamander down her wrinkled nose. "Good work," she commented, "but why is it sleeping?" Kentarre picked up her wand and began to prod the reptile, first gently, then a bit more forcefully. Gradually, she was able to rouse it, and it stuck out its now-forked tongue grumpily. The professor nodded in approval and went to see how the other students were faring. Harry came over, his frog in one hand and his wand in the other. He also inspected her project. "How did you do that?" he asked her. Kentarre shrugged. "The same way you're doing it." *Sort of,* she added to herself. Her work was then further approved by other students, including Hermione, whose frog was beginning to look slimmer and orangish.  
  
Just then, a student who looked as though he might be a seventh year walked in and delivered a piece of parchment to Professor McGonagall. The professor gave it a brief examination, then called out, "Hisakata!" Kentarre glanced up, and McGonagall held out the parchment for her to come and take. Upon opening it, she found a list of instructions that was written in a scratchy scrawl and signed by the headmaster. She skimmed it briefly before hastily pocketing it, avoiding Harry's eyes as she did.  
  
At the end of class, Kentarre joined the shuffle out the door, and Harry confronted her. "What was that about?" he inquired. She dismissed him, saying, "It was nothing important. So, you have Quidditch practice again?" The black haired boy nodded. "You haven't forgotten how to fly, have you?" she teased. He grinned. "No, not quite. The Dursleys- my relatives that I live with- won't let me find a deserted place to practice, so the only place where I can do it is here." She asked him nonchalantly, "Would it be all right if I came and watched sometime?" Harry replied, "Sure. We start around six-thirty. Will you be there tonight?"  
  
"No, I have some business to take care of tonight, but if you have practice Thursday, I'll come then- provided something else doesn't come up."  
  
"All right, then."  
  
The rest of the day was spent in anticipation of the end of the last class, when they would be free to do what pleased them. Harry, of course, was by no means excited about practice, because of the cold front that was due tonight; Kentarre, on the other hand, was just as curious as Harry on the matter of her 'business.'  
  
History of Magic class was almost the same as usual; they took notes, and Professor Binns drolled on. However, what was different about this class was not what went on inside. This time, it was outside. Kentarre caught the slightest of movements every now and then out of the corner of her eye. Something was moving outside the window she was seated next to, but every time she went to look, it would disappear, and nothing seemed to be moved. About the sixth time it happened, Kentarre noticed that the thing- whatever it was- was decidedly getting closer to the castle. She reached out with her senses; nothing. Not even an inkling. She slid her face towards the window under the farce of rubbing the back of her neck. Her eyes roved her view of the castle grounds, her searching stare not missing a single detail. Nothing moved. The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, but Kentarre's eyes remained fixed upon the outside, not wanting to miss that movement again. Harry came and tapped her on the shoulder. "Kentarre," he called, "the bell rang." She put her finger to her lips to silence him lest he break her concentration, and he whispered, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just be quiet, I'm trying to concentrate," she replied in hushed tones.  
  
"Whatever. We'll meet you in the common room. Come on, guys." At that moment, Kentarre caught another glimpse of movement from the window, and she immediately leapt up and dashed out of the classroom, leaving in her wake a trail of confused students. On and on she rushed, making for the front door. Groaning to herself as she found it closed, she called upon her adrenaline and burst through them at full speed. Around the side of the castle she sprinted until she came to the place where she had seen the thing. In its place was a horrible scene, one that made Kentarre hold her breath and look away. It was a dead wraith, presumably one of Hagrid's, twisted and almost completely devoid of blood and laying horribly sprawled on the ground. Once she had mustered the stomach to look at it again, Kentarre noticed that some other blood was mixed in with that of the wraith. This blood was black, as black as night, unlike the wraith's red, and it dripped off in a trail leading deeper into the woods.  
  
Just then, Harry came up behind her, Ron and Hermione in tow. When he caught sight of what she was staring at, he grimaced, as did the other two. "What happened?" gasped Hermione. "Something's in the forest that shouldn't be," replied Kentarre, completely unable to keep the ominous tone to a minimum. Ron leaned in closer. "That black stuff's more blood?" he guessed. Kentarre nodded. "And I intend to find out whose blood it is. If there is something in there that feeds off the blood of reptiles..."  
  
Harry asked, "Just how did you know this was out here?"  
  
"Because I saw- or thought I saw- what did this. I couldn't make out a definite shape, but I saw something. That's when I ran. I was hoping to catch up with it, but this is what I saw when I got here. So, do I have any volunteer accomplices?" Kentarre grinned around at the shocked trio. "You're not going in there this close to dark, are you?" asked Ron. "What choice do I have? The beast is close... too close for us to pass up a chance to catch it. So what do you say?" The three friends looked dubiously at each other. Harry had one question. "Why are you so concerned about the wraiths?"  
  
"It's not the wraiths at all. I've learned to pay attention to anything out of the ordinary. That's usually how I avoid getting myself killed."  
  
Harry shook his head. "I can't go with you. If I do, I'll be late for Quidditch practice, and Wood will hang me from the North Tower."  
  
"All right then. Any more takers?"  
  
Hermione shook her head, as did Ron. "Homework," said Ron. "I've got it coming out of my ears." Hermione said, "I'd like to get some studying in. I guess tonight's just not a good night."  
  
Kentarre replied, "Well, it looks like I'm going by myself. I'm not letting that thing get away from me." With that, she swept off into the trees, following the trail of black droplets that appeared to lead into the very heart of the forest. The trees became thicker and thicker, and brambles clung to Kentarre's hem, as though they were pleading with her not to go any farther into the treacherous woods. But go she did. The trail in front of her strangely never got any thicker or thinner, as if the creature made no effort to stem the flow. Kentarre pulled out her cloak and wrapped it around herself, pulling the hood up all the way over her head. It could have been due to the fact that the canopy of leaves was getting thicker as she went on, or it might have been that night was fast approaching, but it seemed that the farther she went, the darker it became, until it was almost twilight. *I'll be late for my meeting at the castle,* she told herself, *but then, Dumbledore will want to know about this.* Kentarre had the slightest of suspicions that she was out of school campus and could be penalized, but she nonetheless kept going.  
  
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something ahead. Then she heard the sound of leaves rustling frantically, as though someone rather large was shoving them aside. Kentarre continued on, still keeping her footsteps to barely audible. Her senses told her that the thing was directly in front of her, but she never quite caught a full glimpse of it. The creature was leading her to what looked like a clearing, and from that clearing came an eerie green light. Without warning, a voice called out to the darkness, "Ah, you have returned. Good. I was beginning to wonder when you were going to finish indulging yourself. How many did you kill?" Kentarre thought she recognized that voice, but she couldn't match a name to it.  
  
There was no reply. Instead, there was another rustling. "Only one?" came that familiar voice again. "I'm rather surprised." Some more rustling. "Ah, well, no matter. It is only a matter of time before they are all gone. Now, tell me, did anyone sense you?" Again came the rustling. "That is all good. I hate intruders, almost as much as I hate that meddling oaf, Dumbledore." Kentarre listened on, barely breathing. *It isn't him,* she told herself. *No, I would recognize the voice if it was him. But... if it isn't him, then who is it?* Kentarre groaned inwardly. She knew she really shouldn't risk it, but she had to know. She inched closer, trying to get in position so she could have a peek around the tree and see the speaker. When she finally got a good viewpoint, this is what she saw: the clearing was rather small, but apparently just small enough; the speaker's back was turned and his hood was up; the person- or creature- he was speaking to was nowhere to be seen; the green light was coming from the center of a circle of stones- it appeared to be some kind of spell. Kentarre's hiding place was just behind a bush, and it was through a space in between the leaves that she peered, trying to adjust her eyes to the wavering light.  
  
The man spoke again in his irritatingly familiar voice. "I have just received word from our master that he is now attempting to gain the help of the Doom Guardians once more. He tells me that progress is slow, but in the end they will not be able to refuse. Soon he will have their aid, and we will gather more numbers. But he also tells me not to become relaxed because of success. There is one at Hogwarts who could stop us, and that person must not be allowed to interfere. The entire result of our endeavors lies within the hands of one whom we have feared for a long time, but he would not give me that person's name." Here the man paused, obviously pondering the reason for this. Then he shook his head and said, "No matter. He probably assumed I know this person already. He is probably referring to Dumbledore anyway." Somewhere nearby, the rustling, silent for a long period until now, began again. Kentarre immediately began to back into the shadows, but it was too late. The rustling creature had seen her. Kentarre knew she had only one choice left. Holding her left hand out of sight, she closed her eyes and focused. The blue rings, which before had remained unseen, now emitted a bright glow, and Kentarre's image wavered, flickered, and then disappeared altogether. Naught did she move, nor even breathe, as she felt the creature's prescence circle the place where she had last been seen. The thing rustled sharply in frustration after not finding her, but she did not move again until it had moved back towards the greenlit circular clearing.  
  
When it had gone, Kentarre knew it was too dangerous to stay, so she silently stole away from the light, making sure to stick to the trail of dried black blood. Once she could no longer see the green light, she ignited one of her own from her blue tainted palm and set it to glowing at about the level of her left knee, keeping her hand poised directly over it. The blood still spotted the ground, and Kentarre was glad of this, for she would otherwise have had no way back. The forest was pitch black now; night had come again to the Forbidden Forest.  
  
As she swept silently on through the just as silent trees, she kept her mind from forgetting all the details of that overheard conversation. The creature she never laid eyes upon, the man whose face she couldn't glimpse, and the interesting letter from the unknown (though Kentarre had some suspicions) master planner. Dumbledore had to hear this. 


	5. Unseen Snares

Chapter 5: Unseen Snares  
  
  
  
  
  
The castle was a welcome sight to Kentarre's eyes after hours and hours of cruel, relentless forest. The many lighted lamps in myriad windows twinkled gently at her as if to embrace her once again. But as soothing and comforting as Hogwarts was, it could not make her forget what she came back to do. She made her way past Hagrid's cabin, allowing her cloak to billow around her in the night breeze. A few scraggly clouds drifted past, some of them blinking in front of the moon and making the light on the grounds rather patchy. The front door was cast in an eerie shadow by one particularly large cloud, giving it an ominous sort of feel. But it wasn't enough to thwart Kentarre. She opened them by herself, not even bothering to knock and wait for someone to answer. She figured, the less people who knew she was out of bed, the less people she'd have to explain what she was doing out of bed to. Which came to another reason not to knock: if a teacher did open the door, he or she would certainly give her detention before she even got a chance to explain.  
  
The halls were deathly quiet. Nothing moved except the shadows that were cast by the flickering torches that were posted on the walls every few yards or so. Kentarre glided down the familiar yet invisible pathway to the headmaster's office. The time was 10:15, or so she had been told by the clock in the Entrance Hall. When she arrived at the hidden doorway, the gargoyle's eyes were closed. Kentarre had to tap him on the shoulder, apologize for awakening him, and then give the password to gain entrance. The statue groggily trudged aside to allow her to pass through the door he concealed.  
  
Kentarre rapped softly on the door to Dumbledore's office, which was opened immediately by a very anxious-looking headmaster. "Kentarre," he scolded, "you know you could get in trouble for being out this late. Where have you been that caused you to miss our meeting?" Kentarre replied smoothly, "I apologize, Headmaster, but the thing that caused me to be late simply couldn't wait. I should have sent someone to tell you that I would be late, but I was neglectful. Instead, I bring tidings of the urgent sort. May I come in?" The door was widened to allow for her entrance, and once the door was closed, Professor Dumbledore went to his chair behind his desk and motioned for her to take the one in front. She did and then proceeded to tell him all she could remember of what had happened in the forest since the end of History of Magic class, leaving out the part about Harry, Ron, and Hermione seeing the wraith.  
  
When she was finished, Dumbledore linked his fingers together in thought. "I see," he said after a few moments consideration. "And you didn't see the man's face?"  
  
"No. I thought I recognized his voice, but I couldn't put a name to it."  
  
"Ah. Did you learn anything about this... creature?"  
  
"I learned that it feeds on the blood of the wraiths. Whether that is the only blood it feeds on or not is anybody's guess."  
  
"Well, we will have to inform Hagrid and tell him to put tighter security on the wraiths while they are here. We cannot have this beast swallowing up all the specimens for study, what what?"  
  
"The man also mentioned some master that sent him a letter. I think I have some idea about who this master is, but I cannot be sure."  
  
"Well, I think that we should keep this under wraps. I hope you do not mind if I share this with some of the teachers, hmm?"  
  
"Whatever you feel is best, Professor. I myself will tell no one."  
  
"Well, you do what you have to. But I don't want you going out again this late, do you understand me? Normally, I might understand that you need to procure information, but I cannot have the other students thinking that I am letting you off easy because you are new. As you probably well know, people talk, especially young people." Kentarre discreetly rolled her eyes, making Dumbledore smile wryly. "Which is another reason for you not to tell anyone where you've been tonight, am I right?" She smiled sardonically. "You have my word, Headmaster," she replied. "If there is nothing further you need to know for tonight, I will now retire to the dormitory." The elderly headmaster nodded. "You are free to go, my dear."  
  
When Kentarre got back out into the deserted corridor, she leaned against the wall just outside for a moment, absently rubbing the back of her left hand. The blue rings had disappeared, just as they had always done, and faded into the color of her skin. She sighed; this coverup business was really starting to bug her.  
  
She then heard voices coming towards her from one end of the corridor. "Are they here, my sweet? Can you still smell them?" came a simpering voice that didn't sound familiar, but didn't sound friendly either. Kentarre, not wanting to stick around to find out who the speaker was or whom he was talking to, now slunk silently down the hall away from the voices.  
  
Kentarre realized with a groan that the Gryffindor common room was back that way, where the voices were coming from. She would now have to take the long way and risk being caught by someone else- or she could make herself invisible again. Pausing just on the other side of a suit of armor at an intersection, Kentarre hid her hand under her cloak and repeated the process she had done just moments before in the Forbidden Forest. Now completely unseeable, she doubled back, this time hearing the voice before she even reached Dumbledore's office. "They must be here somewhere, my sweet. Sniff around, we'll find them." Rounding a corner, Kentarre saw the speaker, a bony, sour-faced man whom she had seen cleaning the halls; she had been informed by Fred and George that this man's name was Filch, the caretaker. He had been apparently talking to the cat that was nosing around by his feet. Kentarre almost laughed when she saw the state of the man's dress and hair, but then she remembered that he couldn't see her.  
  
Carefully, making no noise at all, she slipped around to his other side and glided noiselessly past on the opposite side of the comparatively narrow hall. There was one point that the cat looked up directly at her, but Kentarre thought that was due to the fact that cats have a very good sense of smell, and Kentarre had just been out in the forest. There was absolutely no way that the cat could see her; her spell had worked on the shadowy creature she could not name or see.  
  
As she rounded the next corner, she would have breathed a sigh of relief if it had not been for the next obstacle that was just up ahead. Kentarre was facing a long corridor, and down it was a squat man with orange hair who appeared to be very busy with something behind a suit of armor. As Kentarre approached, she could hear him cackling viciously to himself as he worked. Suddenly, he perked, his ears twitching as though he was listening very, very hard but trying not to show it. Kentarre stopped entirely, staring very intently at the back of his head, waiting for him to make a move. Every muscle in her body tensed, ready to counter anything he might do. He turned sharply, his beady little eyes nearly bulging with excitement and his nose almost visibly elongating to sniff out intruders. "Somebody's sneaking and peeking at Peeves, they are," he called out in an irritating voice that sounded as though he had just found out a great secret. "Should tell Filch, I should."  
  
Peeves, or so he called himself, cackled maliciously at this and began to advance down the corridor. He floated about two feet above the ground, his legs crossed as though he were sitting cross-legged on the floor. Kentarre had heard of this little man's antics from her fellow students; this was a poltergeist. Kentarre knew just what to do. Peeves began to taunt again. "I smell naughty taughty students out of bed, I do." Suddenly, a curtain rustled a little further down the hall from where Peeves was drifting. His eyes riveted sharply to that spot, and he cackled triumphantly to himself as he zipped over to the spot and began to poke around. Kentarre, calling upon her skills in stealth that had taken her so long to learn, made a quick getaway as soon as Peeves passed her.  
  
She continued on, meeting no one, and finally Kentarre reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Spotted gryphon," muttered Kentarre, and the painting swung wide to admit her.  
  
The common room inside was dark yet cozy. The fire looked like it had been reduced to smouldering coals hours ago, and was now just a few lit embers. The clock on the mantle told her, however dimly, that it was 12:05. Tempted though she was to stay up later and think in this sanctuary for deep thinkers, Kentarre reluctantly reminded herself that the week was not over yet. Giving a few last longing looks at her wonderfully silent surroundings, she swished across the room and up the girls' staircase.  
  
The dormitory, though just as dark as the room below, was a little less complete where the silence came in. Kentarre looked over at her bed, silhouetted in the moonlight streaming in from the window behind it. Thus, instead of climbing through the velvet drapes, she sidestepped the bed and emerged on the other side, stopping to bathe fully in the silver moonlight. There was no breeze tonight; the trees of the Forbidden Forest stood stolid and also doused in the pale light of the moon. Hagrid's cabin, so small from this height, was now covered in a light sprinkling of frost, a reminder to all that winter was fast approaching, and with it, that white sprinkling that most people liked to call snow.  
  
Kentarre breathed in a rush of cold air, and then blew it all out, watching her cloud of breath huff away from her and dissipate. She walked a bit closer to the window, close enough to lean out over the sill. All around was quiet, save for the occasional hoot of an owl just on its way to the Owlery. *I wonder where that unnamed creature is now,* she thought. *It probably has a lot more free range, now that it's dark. Though that shouldn't be much different than the light of the place it came from.*  
  
Now that Kentarre looked back, which she seldom did, she realized that this was a preferable position to be in. Someone might contradict her, saying that there were far too many troubles in this time. Yet, Kentarre would tell them that it was far better to have troubles than to live in a world completely void of problems to solve. Kentarre should know; she had lived in that world before, and it was extremely uncomfortable: there was too much worry about why nothing was happening. Kentarre had told others before that she'd much rather worry about why something was happening than worry about why something was not, and it was still true to this day.  
  
A cry in the dark, then a dark shape began to make its way towards Kentarre's window. Nemesis shortly landed on Kentarre's awaiting arm. She began to stroke his back feathers absently, having no food to give him and assuming he had found something to eat out somewhere on campus. "Hi, Nemesis," she greeted him. "So, where'd you go? Did you see anything interesting?" Nemesis cooed softly at her petting, and she took that as a "no."  
  
A few more minutes of this temporary bliss left Kentarre's thoughts back home. *I wonder how they're getting along? And I wonder where the others are now.* It would be a whole fortnight before she got the next reports, and she still had a few of her own to make. This new information about the meeting in the Forest had to be spread; her friends didn't like to be kept in the dark. *I'll have to make the reports tomorrow,* she resolved. *They wouldn't get them until tommorow anyway if I sent them now.*  
  
Bidding goodbye and goodnight to Nemesis, she turned reluctantly away from the window and the blessed light of the moon. *Now that we've found out some other things about what we're dealing with, it shouldn't be long until we can make something of it.* Kentarre already had some ideas about what was going on; all she needed was confirmation.  
  
As her eyes focused to the darkness in the room, she briefly caught the movement of one of the girls' drapes around her bed. Being a bit disoriented, Kentarre couldn't tell whose bed it was, but it was probably just someone twitching in their sleep. Kentarre now got into her own bed, drawing the curtains tightly around. She then proceeded to make ready for sleep, finally draping her cloak over her and trying to ignore the fact that it had a few leaves still clinging to it. No doubt she would have to come up with some kind of explanation as to what happened after she went into the Forest to tell to Harry and his friends. But she would come up with that tomorrow. For now, sleep, a reprieve, however temporary, from this world and its complications.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh, fumblefeathers, I just don't know what to do with myself!" complained Ron one Saturday morning. They had sat in the common room for a couple of hours now, watching Fred and George cause a huge commotion by antagonizing the small yet pompous prefect, first by feeding him a Canary Cream, now a huge marketing business, then by bewitching his pointed cap to engage in swirls of color every time he turned his head. "That spell's a new development," confided George in one of the few lapses in the constant noise. "We've been dying to find someone to try it out on." He gave another devilish grin in the direction of the frustrated boy, whose name had turned out to be Chester. Kentarre couldn't help but laugh at him; he was utterly pathetic in every way, and he wasn't very good at hiding it. Harry and Ron had much the same reaction, but they had decided to engage in a game of wizard's chess, and weren't paying much attention. Kentarre, who had made a prediction on the outcome of the game only a few minutes before, was now staring intently into the fire, consumed by her thoughts about the previous night's action. *I tried doing some research in the library, but even there my time is limited for fear that someone will figure out what I'm trying to do. It's not likely, but I don't want to take any chances. The Potter boy and his friends are enough to hide from, but if someone else saw me go into the woods... I mean, I didn't exactly leave discreetly.* Kentarre groaned inwardly as she remembered how she had fled the castle in a rush, and everyone had stared at her. *There's a very high possibility that someone else has guessed what's happening, and if they haven't guessed what's happening, they might have guessed that something is happening, so I should still be careful.*  
  
The chess game was over; Ron had won (as Kentarre had foretold). Kentarre, before the game had begun, had noticed that Harry's set's attitude was on the mutinous side, and she had also noted that Ron's set simply looked more seasoned. Harry later confided that his set had been acquired from a pulled wizard cracker, and had never served him very well.  
  
The boy Chester was sitting in an armchair now, a look of complete exhaustion splayed across his features. One hand supported his head, with fingers resting on his brow and his thumb pressed against his cheek. Kentarre watched him with growing amusement. Fred and George apparently had complete control of the common room now; it was clear that the new prefect would do no more to stop them until he caught his breath, and by then it would be too late. They could already run circles around him. Kentarre thought fervently, *This might be useful in the future for quick exits, and I'm certainly not going to do anything to stop them. Besides, it's kinda funny.*  
  
Kentarre stood and went to the window. There was no one sitting there because the window made the air around it rather cold. She couldn't see much through the window, and for a bit she was tempted to go up to her own window in the dormitory. From what she could see, the grounds below were quiet and still, which was strange, because there were usually people milling around outside at this time of day. For a split- second, she wanted to be out on the grounds, wandering around, watching and waiting for another appearance from the strange creature. Kentarre had spent many of the past few hours in deep thought about the animal, if that's what it was, and had come up with several possibilities; that it was a creature from another world, that it was something not yet discovered by man, or that it had been raised up from the Netherworld. None seemed too plausible, which is why Kentarre had been to the library.  
  
Just then, a voice spoke from around her right shoulder. "Do you want to come with us to see Hagrid after lunch?" It was Harry. Kentarre gave him a long look. "All right," she replied. "I'll ask him about the wraith that I found. Maybe he'll know something."  
  
"Good idea. Speaking of which, what did you find when you went out there?" asked Harry, lowering his voice.  
  
"Nothing much. Just more drops of blood. It seemed to go on forever, until I came to a place where the trees formed a kind of wall. The blood trickled on through two of those trees. There were only a few gaps in the wall, and even those were too small for anyone to get through, so I turned back." Well, it wasn't exactly true, but she wasn't about to tell him the truth.  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
Seeming satisfied, Harry turned back and challenged Ron to just one more game before they went down for lunch. Ron accepted; Kentarre watched this game through to the end. It culminated almost the exact same way; Ron won by a fair amount. Then the trio got up and exited via the painting. "Where's Hermione?" asked Ron. Harry replied, "Oh, she said she would be in the library, but that she'd meet us for lunch so we can go see Hagrid together." Kentarre's ears perked. *Wonder what she's doing in the library,* she thought darkly. *There isn't anything in there that would let her know too much, but...* Kentarre couldn't resist the wave of dread that swept over her, but she tried not to let her face show it. Instead, she put on her customary scowl and continued on down the corridor.  
  
Lunch was very noisy; the entire Great Hall seemed to be able to think about one thing: the Quidditch game this Friday. Kentarre herself wasn't that enthusiastic, but since Harry would be playing, she would go just to make him feel better. Under normal circumstances, Kentarre would see this as a perfect opportunity to have the common room and the library to herself, but this time she steeled herself and told Harry that she would be there. *I'll just write them during the next Quidditch game,* she told herself, and continued to stare at her plate.  
  
*I wonder just how much Hagrid knows about those wraiths,* she pondered. Nevertheless, there was simply no other way to find out about them; the library's resources, though vast, simply didn't carry any information about what might eat them. Rather, it informed one about what it ate.  
  
Hermione's voice broke Kentarre's train of thought. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, a tinge of concern staining her voice. Kentarre replied coldly, "No," and that seemed to end things, for Hermione shrugged and went back to her own plate. Kentarre had noticed that Hermione seemed completely uninterested when it came to Quidditch, but that no one had asked her yet if she would come to the game, as if that was inevitable.  
  
Inwardly, Kentarre wanted to find an excuse not to go to the Quidditch game, but there was already none to be found. Besides, she told herself, she had promised Harry, and though it meant very little to her if something came up, she wasn't sure how much it meant to Harry. So she would have some trouble finding an excuse that he wouldn't think was a farce to get out of it. She couldn't have him suspecting her- not now, when she most needed to be trusted. *Trust,* she grumbled, *such a bothersome thing. Hard to gain, easy to break, and nearly impossible to put back together again. I'd just as soon do this without it.* But she knew that, no matter how much she griped, trust was something to be gained and kept, especially now. *Hmmph. Dumbledore's trust was easy to gain once he knew who I was. Unfortunately, Harry will not be so easy because of what he does not know.* Kentarre frowned. *If only there were some way... but that would mean causing a disruption. I can't allow it to go that far. There must be a way!* Kentarre's concentration was suddenly disturbed by a loud bang from somewhere else in the Hall. Several people laughed, and a few stood up to see what was up. Some kid from the Ravenclaw table had just had his boiled potatoes exploded in his face, and he was now looking around in shock and trying to get his face wiped clean. Some of it had stuck in clumps to his dark brown hair, and a few lumps had splattered his robes, but most of it had found its way to his face, which was completely unrecognizeable through the mush. Harry and Ron were chuckling at the practical joke, but none harder than Fred and George Weasley, who were nearly doubled over in their chairs. Kentarre turned back to her food, but not without an approving smile in the red haired twins' direction. *That was entertaining,* she thought with another smile, *but I have more important matters to attend to.*  
  
Kentarre got up from her chair, grateful for the distraction as a coverup; no one noticed her leaving. Her intent was unknown to all but her, for no one could possibly have predicted where she went next; her path went up the marble staircase from the Entrance Hall, down a few other corridors leading from that, all the way to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady, she discovered, was off somewhere, presumably visiting a few of her friends. Cursing, Kentarre briskly swept away in a fury, intending to find some way to get into that dormitory.  
  
A way appeared to her scope of possibilities a moment later; if she could somehow get out of the window and climb up to find the dorm window that was by her bed, that would be ideal. A smile curled her small, naturally downturned mouth, and she made for the broad window that was nearest her. Checking around to see that no one was near, she opened it and leaned out to see her prospects for climbing. The stone outside the window was rather smoothed from wear, but it was still rocky enough that, with a little help, it would be surmountable. Kentarre got up on the windowsill and prepared to spring up towards a jutting stone that looked promising. She leapt and was able to grip it, pulling herself up and finding another handhold. She had at first received a shock because of how cold the stone was, and it was no wonder at this time of year. The first snow was expected any day now; it was early November.  
  
Kentarre climbed higher and higher, her determination overcoming her icy fingers. *I will reach that window,* she told herself just as she began to lose feeling in her fingers. Kentarre gritted her teeth as her hand slipped on a wet stone, and kept going.  
  
It wasn't easy climbing sideways. The window to the girls' dormitory was in the top of one of the Gryffindor towers, the one nearest her, which was a blessing in disguise. The window, just getting in sight, was closed, as she had expected it to be.  
  
Kentarre finally reached the window. Placing her left hand over its smooth surface, she opened it with a brief flash of blue. She hurriedly climbed in the window, shutting it behind her with not a shiver. Then the steel haired girl, her purpose never lost, began rummaging in her trunk for something, making great haste because any minute lunch period would be over, and she would have to leave to go to Hagrid's. Shortly, she apparently found what she was looking for, because she stood back up and held something up to the light. Nodding in approval, Kentarre went down the stairs to the common room below. *Just because it won't let me in, there's no reason whatsoever for it not to let me out,* she reasoned. And she was right; she shoved open the painting with no trouble at all.  
  
Once out in the hall, Kentarre looked around fervently and quietly concealed the item in her robe, slipping it into the breast pocket of her robe and out of sight. Then she started off down the hall, making her way back towards the Great Hall. Kentarre's face formed her usual don't-ask-any-questions-if-you-don't-want-your-face-smashed-in expression. That usually served very well for just that purpose.  
  
Back in the Great Hall, the noise level had returned to normal. Kentarre guessed that the hysterics over the potato episode had died down, and she was right; everyone had returned to their meals and their own frivolous conversations. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had certainly done just that. When Kentarre sat down, Ron had been saying, "When are we going to find time to do all of this homework we've got! I think this is the most that McGonagall has ever given us on a weekend!"  
  
Harry interrupted Ron and said to Kentarre, "Where'd you go? One minute you were here, and the next you had vanished!" *Ha,* exulted Kentarre, *so it worked. They didn't notice.* To Harry, she said nothing, deciding to leave him in suspense and make him think she didn't want to talk. To her chagrin, he decided to persue the subject, but she still did not answer him. "Well? Where'd you go?" he said, a bit louder. Kentarre knew that he had just realized that he was getting nowhere, and she caught herself just before she smiled to herself. Before this, she hadn't dared, but now she snuck a glance over in Harry's direction. He was apparently having an internal conflict, and Kentarre had a feeling she knew what that was about, so she went ahead and let him.  
  
Harry finally went back to his meal, having clearly opted to say nothing else on that subject. Kentarre smirked inwardly. *His conscience clearly has a strong hold on him. I'd better watch out for that. I don't want any surprises.*  
  
The bell rang, and following that was a shuffling of feet and a scraping of chairs on the floor as everyone groaned to their feet and made their way towards the door. No one had their bags with them, because it was Saturday, so the crowd was a bit thinner than usual, but there were just as many people, and most of them were talking about other things. Harry and his gang were saying that they would go up to the dormitory to get their coats, and Kentarre said, "I'll stay down here and wait for you to get back." She would have told them about the Fat Lady's abscence, but that would tell them where she had been, and she didn't feel like telling them just now. So while they went up the marble staircase, Kentarre found a less populated place by the foot of it to wait. She glared at people on their way out, just to make sure they let her alone. It worked marvelously; students took one look at her and quickly looked the other way, suggesting to their friends something else to do rather than stick around here. Kentarre chuckled to herself. *It's amazing how frightening you can look with a little practice.*  
  
Just then, Malfoy and his posse came out of the Great Hall. He spotted Kentarre at the base of the staircase and sauntered right on up. "What do you want, Malfoy? I don't have time to play games with you right now, kid, so just buzz off," she said scathingly. "Ooh, a bit touchy today, aren't we, Hisakata?" he taunted, but she knew better than to take his bait. "I didn't stutter, Malfoy," she growled. "Take off."  
  
"Oh, but I have no intention of doing that. Besides, this isn't your piece of floor, so I'll stand on it if I like."  
  
"No objection about the floor, but if you like it so much, by all means, stomp all over it. But don't get in my way."  
  
"Or what? You'll get your pet Potter to come and beat me up for you? Hmm, should I be scared?"  
  
"No, actually, I'll do it myself. Potter's got enough on his plate now. Besides, I'd like a little exercise."  
  
"Is that a threat, Hisakata? You can get in trouble for that, you know."  
  
"Not as much trouble as I'll be in when I get finished smashing your head in, Malfoy."  
  
"And what will you tell the headmaster when you do? That I was violating your space? That's likely."  
  
"That's just like you, Malfoy, you always have to hide behind somebody, first your father, then Snape, and then Dumbledore. Who next, the Minister of Magic?"  
  
"Why I should-"  
  
A new voice popped in. "What's going on, Kentarre?" It was Harry. Ron and Hermione were just behind him. "Ah, Potter," said Malfoy, "you're just in time to see your friend Hisakata here get her lights knocked out."  
  
"You know, Malfoy, you may be mistaken. I think that yours will be the lights going out."  
  
"I can take both of you on, Potter."  
  
"Would you like to wager on that one?"  
  
"No, actually, I'd like to show you."  
  
"Well, we're all here to see. Let's go."  
  
Another voice sounded out. "What is going on here?" This time, it was Professor McGonagall, looking very sternly at them down her nose. "Hisakata was threatening me, Professor," said Malfoy. "He was getting in my face," countered Kentarre. "I was standing here waiting for Potter to get back, and Malfoy decided he wanted to 'talk.'"  
  
"That's still no excuse, for either of you. I suggest that you all go outside and get some fresh air before you get some detention."  
  
"Yes, Professor," grumbled the group, and they started off to do just that. Harry led the way down to Hagrid's cabin, while Malfoy gave them smug looks before turning off to go his way with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.  
  
Hagrid's cabin was very frosted-over, but when Hagrid opened the door, a wave of warm air escaped through the door, making them all feel very comfortable for a moment. "Well, c'mon in!" boomed Hagrid. "I was wonderin' when you three- wait, four- was goin' t' come an' see me!"  
  
They went inside and hurriedly closed the door behind them. Kentarre, who had never seen the inside of Hagrid's cabin before, got a good look around. There was a rather large bed in one corner, a fireplace with a blaze glowing from it, a table that came up to Kentarre's chest, and a stove in another corner, which was dark.  
  
Hagrid passed around some tea cakes that were a bit on the stale side, but Kentarre played along with the rest of them and pretended to eat them. *The good part will come later,* she told herself.  
  
The conversation went from one thing to another, first Quidditch, then mischief-making, then to Fred and George, and then Kentarre had had enough. Very abrutply, she said, "Hagrid, how much do you know about those wraiths?" He looked rather surprised, but replied, "Well, I'd reckon jus' a bit. Why d'yeh want t' know?" She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, "What kind of thing eats them?" Hagrid looked doubly surprised. "Well... I never heard o' anythin' what could eat a wraith afore, but that don' mean there isn't anythin'. Now, I heard o' a few wraiths disappearin', but I'm not sure that's got anythin' to do with this."  
  
Kentarre perked. "What happened that time?"  
  
"Well, as far as I know, th' only thing that happened was a few people found a couple of 'em dead with some nasty cuts... blood all over th' place, and not a trace o' the culprit."  
  
"Hmmm. Interesting. That sounds exactly the same as what happened to your wraith just the other day."  
  
"Oh, yeah, abou' that. Dumbledore tol' me that if anyone came by who'd found out abou' it, that they shouldn't tell anyone else."  
  
"Believe me, Hagrid, I have no intentions of letting anyone else know. Thanks a lot."  
  
"Jus' one thing, though. How'd yeh find out abou' the wraith in th' firs' place?"  
  
"I found it at the edge of the Forbidden Forest just a few minutes after it happened."  
  
"Yeh didn't find anythin', well, out o' the ordinary, did yeh?"  
  
"Just a trail of black blood. It looked like the wraith did some fighting before it went."  
  
"Oh. Well, if that's all, then I guess yeh'd better be headin' on back t' the castle. It's almost time fer dinner."  
  
"Goodbye, Hagrid. Thanks again."  
  
They left the cheerful little hut in silence. It was Harry who finally broke it. "What do you think it was that killed the wraith?" he asked Kentarre, noting her set jaw and pensive eyes. She said nothing, knowing that she had nothing to tell him. He waited for a minute to see if she would reply, and then apparently he realized that she wasn't going to tell him. He exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione; the former's face had raised eyebrows and questioning eyes, the latter's expression was similar to Kentarre's.  
  
They got to the castle and walked in the front door. The inside was very warm, and smells of dinner wafted towards them from the Great Hall before them. The others breathed in deeply; Kentarre veered off to a side corridor- the one leading to the library. No one said anything to her, for they saw that she had a purpose in mind just by the way she strode. She didn't really expect to run into any problems on the way; she had never considered that the librarian would give her so much trouble. However, Madam Pince did intercept her. "And where do you think you're going?" she snapped at Kentarre. "It's dinner time. You're supposed to be in the Great Hall! And you listen when one of your elders speaks to you!"  
  
"Out of my way, woman. Today is not the day to mess with me," said Kentarre in a deadly quiet voice. That wouldn't thwart Madam Pince, however. "You look here, girl," said the librarian, who now looked more like a vulture who'd found a dying animal that simply refused to die and be eaten, "I won't tolerate any of that from you. I may not be a teacher, but I can have one here in a flash who'll give you detention so fast it'll make your head spin. Now, for the last time, go back to the Great Hall!" Kentarre curled her lip, but held her tongue. *Damn that woman. Why won't she just get out of my way?!* The furious girl swept angrily off back down the hall. *Well, it's not like she's going to follow me to make sure I go where she told me to. All she wanted was for me to be out of the library.* After a few alterations in her course, she found herself in front of the Fat Lady. "Unicorn feather," she snapped, and the Fat Lady replied, "If you say so." The painting swung open, and Kentarre zipped inside.  
  
Once in, she sighed. *Finally alone.* But instead of collapsing down into one of the armchairs, she began pacing the floor. The fire smouldered in the hearth, and the room was warmer than she had expected, but she just barely noticed. Her mind was doing somersaults as her feet took her back and forth, back and forth. *What does all this mean?* she asked herself. *Why do I feel that there's someone here at the castle who knows what's going on?* And then something clicked inside her head, but the idea that followed it was so absurd, so totally off track that she almost ignored it. Jycein. He might know something. Kentarre stopped pacing for a moment and thought about it. She decided that asking him up front would get her nowhere. *He probably does know something. After all, he knew who I was.* But how much did he know? He hadn't known why she was here; maybe he was a lost cause. *I'm going to watch that man. Whenever he twitches, I'll be ready. If he twitches.*  
  
Kentarre then thought of all the other people she was going to watch; Snape came at the top, then Malfoy, then Jycein, then Dumbledore. It was plain to see why the others should be watched, but Dumbledore needed to be observed for a different reason. If Dumbledore had a hunch, she had a feeling he would act on it, but very, very privately. She would almost have to confront him herself in order to know what he was up to, for she was certain he was up to something. He had a way of knowing everything that went on around the castle; he was, after all, Headmaster. Kentarre frowned. *How much of Dumbledore's help am I willing to accept? How much will he give me? Will I be able to work with him, or will I be forced to work around him? How much of this can he handle? And how much will he believe?* Kentarre told herself that this point was not that crucial. The wraith and the unseen creature that maimed it were the more pressing problem.  
  
Then Kentarre decided that classtime would be the best time to observe the wraiths without arising any suspicion. *If I can't find any good resources, then I'll have to go right to the subject.* Gods, how she craved a computer! Back in America, she had been able to find information about anything she wanted. Now, where electrical contraptions were completely useless, she had to rely on the vast yet selective resources of the school library. *I wonder if there's a book about wraiths in the Restricted Section of the library. Hagrid would probably give me permission to get it.* Kentarre resolved to try this the next chance she got.  
  
Apparently, dinner was over, because at that moment, the portrait swung open, interrupting Kentarre's pensivity. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Parvati, Fred, George, Lee, Alicia, and Ginny all walked in through the entrance. Kentarre immediately headed up to the girls' dormitory; if she couldn't be completely alone, she would go for second best. Kentarre felt Harry's eyes- among others- boring into her, watching her as she disappeared from sight. *Wait a minute,* she told herself, and she paused a moment. She wanted to hear what was going on in there. *If ever there was a time to eavesdrop, that time is now.* Kentarre went all the way up the stairs, opened the door at the top, and shut it, good and hard. Then she held up her left fist; after a brief show of blue sparks, the silver haired missionary was completely invisible to the naked eye. She slunk back downstairs and silently stowed away to the far reaches of the common room, certain not to be heard, seen, or otherwise detected. From her position, she couldn't hear every conversation that went on, but the one she was most interested in was right nearby. Sitting in armchairs not five feet in front of her were Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Their conversation was rather easy to hear, and that was all she needed.  
  
Hermione had just asked the boys, "What do you think happened to that wraith?"  
  
Ron said, "I dunno. I mean, she sounded like she knew what she was talking about, and you have to admit, it's kinda likely. Just about anything could live in the Forbidden Forest."  
  
"Yeah," agreed Harry, "but it just doesn't make sense. Why would anyone choose now to loose that thing on the wraiths?"  
  
"That's a good question. Maybe it's not who we think it is."  
  
"Well, who else would it be? I mean, there's no evidence that it's not."  
  
"At any rate, we should still investigate. I can't believe we haven't before now. This is serious. I wonder if that trail of blood is still there..."  
  
"Well, we can't go check it out in broad daylight because someone will see us and we'll be in more trouble than we've ever been in."  
  
Ron snorted. "And I thought that for once we might have a normal year. So when do we go?"  
  
Harry cut in. "Wait, wait a minute. Why are we getting involved? This is not our problem, right? Besides, Kentarre seems well up to handling it."  
  
Hermione said, "You don't know that. I think we should at least check it out to make sure it won't become our problem."  
  
Ron input, "Well, if you two can agree on it, I suppose I'll go along. Not because I agree with Hermione, but because someone's got to keep an eye on you two."  
  
Hermione said, "Well, I don't see any harm in just going to look."  
  
Ron blinked at her. "Wow... I never thought I'd see the day when she was trying to convince us to do something that could get us in trouble. Anybody got a quill? I gotta write this down..."  
  
It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes. "What about tomorrow night?" she asked.  
  
Ron said, "I say, let's do it."  
  
Harry cut in. "All right. So it's set for tomorrow night, is it?"  
  
The other two nodded, and the exchange took a different turn. This time the topic was (dun dun dun) Kentarre. "So..." said Harry, "what d'you think Kentarre's up to?"  
  
Ron looked at him. "You mean the way she's so interested in that wraith? Yeah, I was wondering about that too."  
  
Hermione said, "I think that her business is no concern of ours. It is, after all, her business."  
  
"What d'you mean, none of our concern?" asked Harry, a little louder than he had intended.  
  
"Well," said Hermione matter-of-factly, "it has nothing to do with us, and it won't affect us in any way that I can see." *Ha,* thought Kentarre, *it will if everything goes well.*  
  
Ron scratched his head. "I dunno, Hermione... I would kinda like to know why those wraiths are so important to her. I mean, it's no secret why they're important to Hagrid, but why's Kentarre so concerned?"  
  
The group paused in silence, each conjuring up their own idea about what the mysterious girl with strangely colored hair was up to. Kentarre watched Harry's face very intently. His green eyes, illuminated by the dim light of the fire, looked wind-tossed under furrowed black eyebrows.  
  
"At any rate," said Harry, breaking the silence, "we should still go and have a look."  
  
Hermione looked defeated but still disapproving. "All right. But how are we going to get out of the castle?" she inquired, lowering her voice even more.  
  
"My cloak should do the trick. It's covered three of us before."  
  
Ron snorted. "Barely," he grumbled.  
  
Hermione ignored him. "We'll go right after the common room empties."  
  
Kentarre, meanwhile, had not dared to move, lest she make a noise and alert them to her presence- or worse, her overhearing their conversation. She listened now with bated breath, intending to know their plans for their excursion. The subject of talk switched to other things, but Kentarre remained firmly rooted to the spot.  
  
Suddenly, there were some taps at the window. Everyone looked there, and everyone saw a very cold falcon that had a package in its talons. Ron got up to let the bird in, and Kentarre's eyes widened. *Oh, sh-* Nemesis flew straight to her corner and landed on one of the nearby chairs, eyeing his master suspiciously. The entire room was watching the bird, all of them looking very interested, especially Harry's group. Kentarre silently cursed to herself, but she didn't dare move for fear someone would hear. She tried to communicate to the bird to drop the package on her bed, and Nemesis cocked his head but seemed to understand, for he took off up the girls' staircase. Looking around the room, Kentarre saw it was too late. Everyone that was left in the room was giving each other suspicious looks and muttering to themselves about the strangeness. Harry himself wondered aloud, "Why didn't the bird take it up to Kentarre first? Something's going on, here." He got up from his chair and began to slowly walk towards the shadowed corner where Kentarre was hiding, frozen in place. *Damn that bird,* she swore to herself. *He's ruined everything. Ohhh, this is bad.* She tried to ease her way out of the corner, but Potter was advancing too fast. His arms were not so outstretched that she could go under them, but he would eventually touch her, and then it would be really hard to explain. Besides, she didn't want to lose all she had gained in this one night.  
  
Kentarre then saw her exit: one of the chairs was nearby, and it just might be tall enough for her to squeeze under. That was usually a risky maneuver, but what other choice did she have? All the other outlets were blocked- and Harry was fast approaching. Kentarre dropped to the ground without a sound and scooted over to the chair. It was rather narrow, but she could make it. She eased her head under and lay prone. Then she began to slide; her shoulders were the first obstacle, and muscled as they were, they were by far the most difficult. Then came her chest and hips, and then her knees, and her feet. *There.* She was out, but just barely in time, because just as she emerged unseen from the chair, Harry got to the wall. His slim fingers brushed up against the wall before he turned away. All eyes in the room were still on him, which gave Kentarre some cover to slink away back to the staircase.  
  
Once on the other side of the wall, Kentarre stopped and leaned up against the wall, trying to get some air without making noise. That had been close- too close. Well, she had found out what she had wanted to, and no one was the wiser, although some (like Harry) might suspect what she had been up to. Now all that was left was to follow them out on Sunday night without being detected. Kentarre was going to follow them for two reasons; one, so that she might learn any new information that might turn up also, and two, so that she could make sure they didn't get hurt. *Hey, if I'm going to do this job, I'm going to do it right.* Kentarre padded up the stairs. *Now to see what this package is about...* 


	6. The Changing Winds

Chapter 6: The Changing Winds  
  
  
  
"Well, I understand your concern, Kentarre, but what you are asking is simply out of the question." The afternoon sun shone in through the windows of Dumbledore's circular office that Sunday, setting fire to the swirling dust particles that happened to pass through it. Dumbledore himself was as cool as a cucumber as he eyed Kentarre from over the rim of his half moon spectacles. She was tempted to glare at him until he conceded, but she held her steady gaze in check, trying not to look so much accusing as simply put out. "As I have told you already," she said, "this matter will require some investigation from all sides. My request to you now is merely an example of the kind of investigating I'd like to do. You do realize, don't you, that Jycein knowing who I am changes things. I have managed to keep from him why I am here, but he already knows too much. This recent favor is simply so that I can keep a better eye on him to make sure he knows that he is to keep this to himself. I am sorry if I offend you by saying this, but I'm not entirely sure I trust him. He reminds me too much of-" Kentarre broke off very abruptly, debating how far she dared go. She shook her head and continued. "Nevermind. The point is this: do you or do you not agree that if Jycein talks, to anyone, that I am in jeopardy?" She paused so he could reply.  
  
Dumbledore considered this. "Well, in a way, I suppose you would be, because of the fact of who you are and what you have come here to do. But, Kentarre, if he knows who you are, then he must know that you want as few people as possible to know about it." Kentarre clenched her fists at her sides. "What I want to know is how he found out in the first place!" she burst. "Who is he really? How does he know about me?" Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't know, for I surely did not. Believe me, Kentarre, not a single teacher knows about you except for Professor Jycein and me."  
  
Kentarre's fists, however remained clenched. "How did you find him?" she asked. "How did he come to teach here?" Dumbledore replied, "He replied to my ad in the Daily Prophet. He was the only one that replied. He told me that he would not be able to attend school for the first few weeks because he would be out of the country, but that once he got here, he would stay." Kentarre pondered this. *That would mean that he wasn't in England at that time,* she mused. *I wonder...* She opened her mouth to say something else to Dumbledore, then closed it again. Kentarre thought that she would do some snooping around on Jycein- with or without Dumbledore's permission. Of course, it would be better if she had his permission, but she didn't want to risk him ordering her not to. After all, if she hadn't been ordered not to, that didn't mean she couldn't- or wouldn't.  
  
She turned back to the headmaster, who was eyeing her with the slightest hint of suspicion in his twinkling crystal blue eyes. Kentarre spoke. "Thank you, Dumbledore. I'm going back to the dormitory to do some thinking." Dumbledore's twinkle turned playful. "Don't think too much, now," he teased. "I've found that when one does that, one receives the most peculiar headaches afterward, for some reason." Kentarre raised her eyebrow at him, then allowed herself a small smile in Dumbledore's direction. "I'll try," she said, and left in a very dignified manner, closing the door quietly behind her.  
  
*Now all I have to do is stay out of Harry's way- but that doesn't mean I can't watch him. Hmmm... maybe I'll get to brush up on my slinking.*  
  
Harry and his friends were at Hagrid's right now, and Kentarre decided that direct spying would not be the best way to go about it. No, what she would do was to pull a few strings and see if she could use her magic so that she could hear them without having to listen through the keyhole, which could get her caught. She would have to be quick, because what she was doing involved going right up and making contact with one of the windows. It would also require no interruptions from anybody else while she was listening, or else she would miss something. *This will be a good way to find out anything they may want to keep hidden from me,* she mused, and she crept up to the hut to begin her incantation.  
  
Once the part with the window was done, Kentarre put the same magic on her left ear so that she could hear what was inside. Then she left the cabin and climbed a tree nearby. This would make it the chances for interruptions a good deal slimmer than they would be if she had stayed on the ground; people tend to be rather blind when the person they're looking for is hiding in a tree.  
  
The conversation was going fairly normally: Harry was saying, "The thing that's got me confused is the fact that her falcon landed on the chair in the common room. Why didn't he just go up to the dormitory if she was there?" Ron agreed. "Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak too," he reasoned. Hermione commented, "I thought you said those were really rare."  
  
"Yeah," he replied, "but I didn't say that no one else had one, did I?"  
  
"What I can't figure out is the reason she would have to be in the common room," said Harry, his tone sounding very lost. "Was she listening to us? Was she watching for something?"  
  
From up in the tree, Kentarre silently congratulated Harry. *Very good, Potter,* she drawled, *you've just figured out that you've been handed the answer by that imbecilic dodo.*  
  
Ron said, "Well, from what I can tell, we didn't say anything specific that would be of any use to anyone but us, and nothing earthshattering happened that I can remember, unless you count her falcon flying in with that package and causing a big commotion..."  
  
Harry cut in. "You may have something there, Ron. Maybe she wanted to be there when the package came."  
  
"But Harry," countered Hermione, "the package would have come to her. She didn't have to be in the common room, you know. The bird could have delivered it just as easily if she were in the dorm, and it would have been a lot more private."  
  
"Oh yeah..."  
  
"There must be some other reason."  
  
Hagrid had a thought. "Maybe you three said sommat that maybe wasn't important t' you, but t' her it migh' have bin."  
  
Hermione said, "He's right, you know. Maybe we said something important and we didn't know it."  
  
Ron's eyebrows suddenly furrowed. "Where the dickens is Kentarre, anyway? We haven't seen her all afternoon."  
  
The other two suddenly fell silent, pondering the whereabouts of the strange, pale, wiry girl whose very presence at the school had caused somewhat of a disturbance. Up in the tree, Kentarre bit her tongue to keep from swearing. Why did they have to wonder that just now? It would take quite a bit of explaining to brush aside the fact that they had been talking about her and she just happened to be up a nearby tree.  
  
The conversation inside continued, but the rest of it was to be short. "Well," said Harry as the sound of wood scraping on wood came to Kentarre's ears, "we'd better go and freshen up for dinner. See you later, Hagrid." The others followed his lead, and very soon all three could be seen filing out of the fairly large front door. Kentarre cancelled the eavesdropping setup and leaned back in her tree, trying to remain out of sight behind one of the larger base branches of the tree, but still trying not to move so much as to attract attention. The group headed back towards the castle, and Kentarre decided to wait until they got just inside the door to follow them. *Little do they know how much they uncovered in one sitting,* she grumbled. *Too bad they won't find out until a long time from now, for they will find out. I'll take care of that.*  
  
The three reached the door and went in, at which point Kentarre leapt down from the tree, landing catlike on the lawn. Then she herself started off for the front door. *All I have to do is keep up with them until they go out into the woods. That shouldn't be too hard, considering that they're just children.*  
  
Inside, the castle was very quiet and completely deserted; Kentarre supposed that by now most people would be inside their common rooms, lounging until dinner. It was, after all, a Sunday evening, the usual time for people to either do their weekend homework or laugh at the people who were. Kentarre herself had had a bit of homework, but, knowing that she would be busy tonight, she had done it earlier. She wasn't all that surprised to find that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had done the same thing in the library.  
  
She had been lucky enough to spot the trio before they got around one of the corners, and she mildly wondered why they were not also going to the common room. Whatever the reason, she followed them, determined to know the exact moment when they left the castle for the woods. They headed down the corridor that Kentarre always took to the library, which turned out to be where they were going. *Hmmm... this could be trouble. I'd better stay out of sight...* With that, Kentarre faded away into invisibility, still traveling at the same speed to keep up with the others.  
  
Inside the library, everything was quiet and rather dark. Harry and the others had taken a route down one of the aisles; Madam Pince was blessedly nowhere to be seen. Kentarre could see a few lit wands somewhere off to her left, so she quietly slunk to that aisle, the better to hear what they were saying, if they were saying anything. Harry, however, remained silent as he leafed through the section. Kentarre wondered what section they were in, but she couldn't be sure because the wand that was lit was on one side of the bookcase, casting the end labels in shadows. Hermione murmured, "I think I remember seeing something about those the other day when I was in here..." Ron muttered, "Which other day? You're in here every day." Hermione ignored him. "It's got to be here somewhere," Harry murmured to himself as he ran his finger along various spines. "Hermione," he suddenly said, "This one is 'A Guide to Other Forms of Magic'. Is this it?"  
  
Hermione reached over and plucked the book from the shelf. She whispered to the other two, "This is the one. Let's go see what it says." Kentarre's eyes widened reflexively as the trio headed back out of the aisle, though she knew they couldn't see her. There was another reason for her to be panicked; if that book had anything significant in it, there could be no end to the conclusions that the book would lead them to. Any one word could speak volumes to the person with logic on their side. Kentarre froze as they passed her, heading for one of the nearby tables. Then she too moved away, until she was so close to the table that she might as well have been reading over their shoulders. Harry put his wand in position over the book and started in the table of contents. "Enchanters are people who work most of their spells with wands... Unicorns use a form of magic with their gifts of a quick getaway... Wizards, of course... It lists a whole lot of magical creatures... Nothing else. That's odd..." It took every bit of training Kentarre had received to counter that wave of explosive relief that now overtook her. She smiled to herself. *That was too close for comfort.*  
  
Harry closed the book, shaking his head. "I thought you said there would be something in here," he said to Hermione. She took the book from him. "I thought there was," she replied in disbelief. "I thought for sure there was something in this book about mages... Maybe it was another book." She started back for the bookcase clutching the book to her chest. Ron and Harry followed behind her, and Kentarre was careful to stay out of the wide circle of wandlight; just because they couldn't see her didn't mean she wouldn't cast a shadow. Hermione put the book back, and then she turned to the others. "We'll look for it tomorrow. We should go if we want to have enough time." Ron and Harry exchanged glances, and Ron shrugged. "All right," said Ron.  
  
The three of them, followed by one unseen tagalong, left the library and headed back down the hall. Kentarre heard Harry mutter, "Nix," and his wandlight ahead disappeared. Kentarre heard some indistinct murmuring from up ahead, but try as she might, she couldn't hear what it was that had been said, and she dared not get any closer.  
  
Finally, the entourage got to the Entrance Hall; they could hear the noise coming from the Great Hall as everyone had dinner. The first three headed towards the noise; the last, to her viewing area behind the marble staircase, where she could keep an eye on things without the risk of someone bumping into her when they all came out. Kentarre leaned herself up against the railing of the ascending, sweeping staircase. It looked to be a long wait.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The forest outside the castle looked dark and brooding in the weak moonlight. Kentarre, however, welcomed the darkness, for it would conceal all from those who would wish to see. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone upstairs to get Harry's invisibility cloak after dinner, but now they were only a few paces ahead of her, steadily heading for the edge of the wood.  
  
Once they were inside the forest and back a ways, Harry lit his wand and they shed the cloak, which was obviously no longer needed. Kentarre still remained at a safe distance behind them. Kentarre was in her element. Stalking, she had found, was one of her more developed skills because it was among those she used more often. Her feet moved noiselessly over the fallen branches and dead leaves, and her stance was one of alert caution. This was the part she had to do right, because otherwise the rest of her plan would fall down around her ears.  
  
The most awkward thing about this endeavor was the fact that the group up ahead was constantly stopping to check if they were still on the right path. The blood had not washed away yet, but some parts of it were covered in newly-fallen leaves or debris from the trees above, so they had to stop frequently to regain the trail. It was a very long and tedious process, and at one point all three of them thought they had completely lost it. But they plodded on and on and on.  
  
Finally they reached the wall of trees that Kentarre had come upon when first she made this trip. The two trees that Kentarre had twisted apart were still as she had left them, so they were able, with some pushing and pulling on Harry and Hermione's part, to get through. Shortly after, they reached the clearing, which, this time, was not unusually empty. Since the trail of black liquid was old, no one here had expected visitors. Harry emerged from the trees first, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. Kentarre stayed in the shadows just beyond the clearing, as she had done before, to see what they would do.  
  
Harry, like the others, was looking around him on the ground. Hermione noted, "The trail of blood ends here. Let's see if we can find something else."  
  
Ron said, "Like what?"  
  
She was absent-mindedly scanning the ground around her, and she didn't pay much attention to his question, so Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and a shrug and followed her lead. Kentarre watched appraisingly as the three hunted around for nothing in particular. And that was when she heard the telltale rustling in the bushes somewhere off to her left. Harry and the others froze as they heard it too, and Kentarre perked. *That thing's back again. What's happening?* She inwardly groaned, for she couldn't let that thing, whatever it was, see that she was there, but she couldn't let the alert trio in the middle know that either.  
  
Kentarre wavered out of sight and then cautiously stepped out into the clearing, using all of the same skills that had been in play for the entire adventure. The rustling started to slow, and Kentarre felt that somewhere off in the darkness, someone, or something, was summoning a magic of some kind. This magic was unlike anything she had ever detected before, and that knowledge set her on the edge. She noticed that Ron and Hermione had retrieved their wands from their safeholds in their pockets, and Kentarre silently congratulated them. *At least they know when the unseen is friendly or not.* Without thinking, she began to ball her left hand into a fist that signified that she was now on defense.  
  
Kentarre silently began to curse. *If I'm going to defend these people, I can't be invisible.* She cursed again. *Well, Kentarre,* said some other voice, *you know what this means.* Kentarre smiled a grim smile. *Right,* she replied, and she backed back into the bushes just as the strange magic released itself.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione suddenly found themselves paralyzed. They were now completely frozen in their exact poses, their wands out in the air and their heads caught in the act of frantic search. Harry tried to call out, but the spell extended to his jaw also, which was now sealed shut. He found that the only thing he could do now was speak through his teeth, so that's what he did. He said with surprising clarity, "Are you all okay?" Ron gritted back at him from somewhere over his right shoulder, "Well, if you consider being completely frozen in place okay, then we're just dandy!" Hermione said, "This is bad, Harry. I can't even cast a counterspell. This is really bad."  
  
Just then, a flash of bright blue light blinded the three of them- well, except Harry, who had the mixed blessing of having his head fixed in place facing directly away from the light. From somewhere near the place where the rustling began, someone cried out in angry frustration. Harry thought the voice sounded very familiar, but he couldn't figure out exactly who it was.  
  
And then the light was gone, and Harry heard someone step out of the trees. "I know you're there, you moron," said a resonant, feminine voice, "so why don't you come out of there? We'd all like to see who you are, wouldn't we?" There came a string of curses from the bushes, but nothing more. "So you won't come out, will you?" challenged the first voice. "Well, perhaps you need a little confidence." There were footsteps, and Harry strained against the curse to see who it was.  
  
The girl walked from behind him into his line of sight. She had very long whitish hair, a very pale complexion, and was quite a few inches taller than Ron, who was the tallest of Harry's friends. She was dressed in blue, loose-fitting garments that consisted of baggy pants and a small shirt that had one solid strip across the front and was, other than that, designed in an intricate pattern of thin straps that wrapped around her stomach and back. Her arms were bare, as were her feet. At first, she was quite stunning, but then Harry noted that her muscles were very finely toned; this girl was a warrior of some kind.  
  
The girl walked over to the place where the threat was supposed to be, and she too disappeared into the brush for a moment. A snarl broke the sounds of the swaying branches, and the girl's voice could be heard, crying out a loud war cry that sounded as though it might be in a different language, though Harry could not fathom what language that might be. Then there was another flash of blue light from the trees, and the snarl from whatever creature made it turned into a howl of anger and pain. The girl spoke again. "There now, that wasn't so hard, was it? Now will you be so kind as to come out so everyone can see you?" The warrioress emerged from the trees dragging by the scruff of his neck someone dressed in a black robe. She said sharply to the figure, "Now, why don't you move that hood out of the way so everyone can see you?"  
  
The person proved to be incredibly strong, for he then threw a punch into her gut, causing her to flinch and lose her grip on his robe for and instant. Apparently, that instant was all he needed, for he twisted out of her grasp and pulled out a wand. The girl cursed at him and grabbed at his robe again, but he was too quick; he pointed his wand at her and yelled some spell that Harry did not recognize. The spell hit her and she toppled over on the ground. She lay there for a moment, apparently trying to get her breath, but it was too late. The man said in his irritatingly familiar voice, "I regret that I couldn't stay and humor you all, but don't despair, for I have a little gift I'm going to leave you. Farewell." He held out his wand at a rock and said, "Plodium!"  
  
The rock didn't appear to be any different, but the man laughed evilly and Disapparated. The warrioress, after catching her breath, went over to the rock. She put her ear to it, and her eyes widened. She cursed and walked over to Harry. She said, "This won't hurt. I'm going to undo his spell, because we have to get out of here." She placed her hand on his forehead. Her hand suddenly got warm, and Harry thought that he saw her hand turning a tinge of blue. He saw now what he couldn't see of her before; her eyes were a molten silver color, and they seemed to seethe and churn beneath their lids. Her face looked almost familiar, but not quite. Harry could now see that her face had some kind of markings on it, which were also that bright blue color.  
  
And then he could move again. He flexed all his muscles, which were now reasonably sore from having been forced to keep that position for a long time. Then the girl walked over to the other two and did the same thing. Harry looked at her hand as she did this. Her hand, in fact, had not exactly turned blue; Harry now saw a pattern that was etched on the back of her hand. It was three blue circles, one inside the other. As she undid each spell, the blue cirles began to glow very strongly, and when she took her hand away, the blue dulled back to its original constant glow.  
  
Once everyone had been defrosted, the warrioress put her ear back to the rock that held the enchantment. Her eyes took on that same look of nervous apprehension, and she turned to the others. "We have to get out of here. Come here, all of you." Ron hesitated. "What're you going to do?" he asked cautiously. She sighed. "All right, then, I'll tell you what we're going to do." Just as she was about to tell them, a tiny clicking noise came from the rock. The girl's eyes lit up in panic, and she said, "No time to explain! Let's go!" With that, she grabbed hold of Hermione's middle, whirling her around to face away from her. She did the same thing to Harry on her other side, and then she motioned for Ron to come nearer. He shook his head. "It looks as thought you don't have any more room," he said nervously. The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, of course there's room. But you're going to have to trust me. Just come here, and we'll make room."  
  
Ron hesitated again, and the girl snapped, "Look, you don't want me to have to come over there and get you, so you might as well do it, because we're not leaving you behind! Come on!" He ran over, and she squeezed him in under her arm on Harry's side. "All right, now, hang on tight!" she shouted, and then she began to change. First her shoulders snapped back, then her head popped down, and lastly, she took in a deep breath. Without warning, she shouted one word, and then Harry found himself being lifted off the ground at an alarming rate. He saw the cloud above him getting closer and closer, but he did not trust himself to look down just yet. He felt very aware of the fact that he couldn't feel anything but air beneath his feet, and he sensed that Ron had just come to that realization himself. They were flying.  
  
Just then, there came an awful boom that sounded much like an explosion. Harry's curiosity got the better of him, and he looked down and back. There was a rather large cloud of smoke coming from the clearing they had just been in. He pulled his head back up and said, "Was that the rock?" The girl said, "Yes. That blasted wizard put the Explosion Curse on it. Now that clearing's been reduced to ashes, and he'll have to find a new meeting place for him and his little black-blooded friend." Harry and Ron exchanged a glance as best they could considering their cramped positions, and then each turned his eyes ahead.  
  
Hermione was simply staring breathlessly off into space. She did not like heights, and she didn't quite trust her stomach enough to look up or down just now.  
  
Hogwarts castle was swiftly approaching from up ahead. The entire forest was dark, save for a few spots of light cast by the smouldering remains of the combustion.  
  
The flight was quiet for a while, except for the wind that was roaring past everybody's ears. Harry took this opportunity to look at his transporter's face. Her sharply angled features screamed familiarity at him, but there was still something there that prevented him from making the connection. He noted that her jaw was rather tightly set, and her eyes were expressionlessly watching the invisible pathway that led to the castle. Harry asked calmly, "Who are you?" The girl's silver eyes swirled a little faster in annoyance at his question, but she answered him in the same calm voice, "I am one to be feared, and that is all you ever need know of me." Harry persisted. "Why did you save us?"  
  
"Well, I couldn't very well leave you there. There are certain moralities involved."  
  
"But who are you really?"  
  
"That, my young friend, is something I cannot tell you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because there are those who would take advantage of that knowledge, and I cannot allow that."  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"There are also some who ask too many questions for their own good, and that could get them into trouble."  
  
The simple finality in her tone told Harry that he was coming very close to offending their hostess and rescuer, so he took a hint and dropped it. Doing this, however, did not stop the burning questions within him from floating to the surface. Perhaps he would talk to Dumbledore about this... and perhaps not.  
  
Whether it was by some coincidence or not, the girl knew exactly where they had left Harry's invisibility cloak, and she set them down here. "It is here that I shall leave you," she said rather formally. Then, with a wry smile, she added, "Try not to almost get yourselves killed again, okay?" She began to back into the trees, and Harry called out, "Thanks." It was a bit lame, he knew, but it needed saying. She did, after all, save their lives. Her smile remained as she retreated, and then she was gone.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, not wanting to waste any time, donned the cloak and started back toward the castle. 


	7. Mysterious Blue

Chapter 7: Mysterious Blue  
  
  
  
Kentarre breathed a rather heavy sight of relief. She had made it without anyone the wiser. She tried very hard to fight the whoop of joy that was clawing to escape her. The girls' dormitory was very dark, and there were noises of very sound sleepers coming from each of the beds. Except for two of them. Hermione's bed was empty like her own, and Kentarre then heard voices coming from downstairs in the common room. Though she was very weary from lack of sleep and energy, she decided to risk it. She crept leopardlike down the wooden staircase and stood at the wall that separated the stairs from the common room. Yep, it was the infamous trio, no doubt discussing everything they had just witnessed- and done.  
  
Finally, Kentarre's curiosity got the better of her. She flickered out of sight and slunk into the room. Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat in three armchairs that were facing each other, all trying to catch their breath. Ron's face looked slightly green, and Hermione's hair was, if possible, bushier than usual. Harry looked simply out of breath; his hair was always out of place, so there wasn't much to be done. All were covered in a rather sticky-looking sweat that shone in the firelight. Kentarre rather thought that they might reflect light if so provoked. Finally, Harry said in a gasping voice, "Well, the night wasn't totally wasted." The others looked at him, and Ron said, "I thought you said we were just going to look." Harry replied, "Apparently, someone changed the plans out there without telling us."  
  
Hermione breathed, "Well, at least we got back all in one piece, although I'd rather be rescued some other way next time we decide to do something like that."  
  
Then Ron voiced the question that was on all of their minds (except for Kentarre's, of course). "Who was she?" he wanted to know, his voice clearly betraying his bewilderment. "And what was she doing there? Was she following us, or did she just happen to be there?" Hermione gave him a stern look. "Ron, it was the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night. It's highly unlikely that someone could just 'happen to be there.'"  
  
"Oh yeah. Well, I guess she was following us, then."  
  
Harry input, "What I don't understand is how she knows about us. How did she know that we were going to be there?"  
  
There was a pause. Kentarre found herself leaning in towards them, listening very hard to see what they would say next. *I don't like this,* she thought. *They're gradually coming to the conclusion. I can see it in their eyes. Will they figure it out? Can they?* Ron said slowly, "The only time we talked about it was that night in the common room when Kentarre's falcon made a delivery. Are they connected? Was she in the room and we didn't know it, or did someone tell her that we would be going out that night?"  
  
Harry was staring at the floor. "Maybe," he said, "she has ways of listening without having to be in the room. Who knows what she's capable of? Did anyone notice that she didn't use a wand? She's definitely not a witch." Hermione shook her head. "You saw that mark on her hand, didn't you? I wonder what that's for."  
  
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I suggest that we keep our eyes and ears open." Then, on a whim, he added, "Do you think we should tell Dumbledore about this? Maybe he knows something."  
  
"If he knows something, he probably won't tell us," Ron disagreed. "It's one of his more maddening qualities." Hermione reminded him, "Yes, but he usually has a reason." Ron replied, "True, but we don't usually find out that reason until we find out what he's been keeping from us, so there really isn't any point, is there?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course there is," she sighed, "but he doesn't want us to know about it until we know enough to understand it." Ron shook his head. "Whatever."  
  
Kentarre, meanwhile, listened to all of this and thought about it. *What would Dumbledore tell them?* she wondered. *Hmmm... he said he would keep it to himself and a few teachers... which reminds me; I have to go talk to Jycein.*  
  
Harry was now saying, "Hey, I wonder who that guy in the Forest was. Was it just me, or did his voice sound very familiar?"  
  
Hermione said, "Now that you mention it, I do remember recognizing his voice, but I couldn't quite put a name to it, could you?" Harry shook his head. "What about you, Ron?" Ron's reaction was similar. Hermione did some very quick thinking, and said, "Perhaps we should look up the Explosion Curse in the library. Maybe we'll find some answers there." Harry said, "Good idea. But I have a better one. Let's sleep on it; we'll meet in the far corner of the Entrance Hall in the morning to see what we've come up with. We'll go to the library during break."  
  
The three friends trooped over to the staircases, where they parted with goodnights. Kentarre waited until all of the doors were shut and the footsteps climbing the stairs had diminished before she undid her invisibility charm. She began to pace. *I've got to be even more careful than that. They were too close to making the connection. And if they sleep on it, the chances increase for one of them thinking too hard and actually putting two and two together. I think I'll lay low for a while. Maybe I'll make myself sick... No, that wouldn't work. The nurse is too good for that; she'd have me out of there within two days no matter what I had. I'd better think of something quick. The year's fast disappearing on me, and I still don't have a reasonable lead... Oh well. Maybe I'll take a leaf out of Potter's book and sleep on it.*  
  
Then she too ascended the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Silent as a gliding hawk she crept to her own bed and noiselessly slid into it, firmly shutting the drapes behind her. She lay down, but did not sleep until one more person's steady breathing joined that of the others. Then, slowly but surely, sleep overcame her whirling mind, and her own breaths slowed into that familiar pattern of one who is sleeping.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The corridor leading to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom was unpopulated. Kentarre swept down it noiselessly, noticing that the door to the said classroom was partially open. There were voices coming from inside, and Kentarre quickly put her face to the doorway. One of the voices was Jycein; the other sounded like that kid Malfoy's father. Both of them sounded angry. Jycein was saying, "This is complete idiocy, Lucius. There is no way that Dumbledore won't see straight through that, not to mention that annoying prying brat."  
  
"Well, then, you'll just have to keep quiet about it and not make a fuss," said Lucius. "I'm sure I'm not the only one growing impatient with you, Learst. If you mess this up again, we'll be forced to find somebody else, and you don't want that."  
  
"That's perfectly all right, Lucius, don't go and do something drastic over one little slip-up that won't happen again. No one will know this time."  
  
Kentarre smirked. *Don't count on it, pal.*  
  
Inside, Lucius continued. "At any rate, I've been told to tell you to hurry this along. We want to be able to move as soon as possible, but we can't do it with you drawing this out. Just do it." Jycein replied, "The next attack is in place. All I have to do is give the word. It won't be long."  
  
"Good. I wouldn't want to have to tell the master that you are incapable of doing things quickly and quietly."  
  
Jycein now sounded worried. "But what if the Potter boy continues to pry? I can't seem to get rid of him."  
  
"Just don't arouse any more suspicions. Come up with some clever way to clear this up. Come on, man, it's not that hard."  
  
"All right, all right. I mean, it's not like we're up against some major force, like someone who doesn't use normal magic who could annihilate us with one stroke of her hand and who could see through just about any counterfeit just by looking."  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much about her, Learst. She's got a few surprises in store for her as well, and when the master finally gets his chance to face her, she'll have finally met more than her match. Just remember that the sooner you get done doing your job, the sooner that can happen."  
  
"Whatever you say, Lucius."  
  
There were footsteps that seemed to be coming towards the door, and Kentarre straightened up and started to walk casually down the hall. She could hear the man called Lucius walking the other way down the hall, and she smirked at his retreating back. *Little does he know just who was listening in on his conversation,* she exulted. *Hmmmph... annoying prying brat... he has no idea just how annoying I'm about to get.*  
  
* * *  
  
Kentarre felt that the only thing that might have kept her from doing it would have been an official order from the King of England, and maybe not even that. She smirked again as she ran over her plan in her mind one more time. Everything was in order; Jycein would soon be going out, and she intended to follow him. *I love this job,* she thought happily. *I get to sneak around and use the best methods of stealth on the planet- and it's all legal!*  
  
And there he was: wearing a cloak that was not very much unlike her own, but there was one difference between the two- Kentarre's looked natural on her. His made him look very much as though he was trying to be inconspicuous- and failing. Kentarre shook her head. *He's making this too easy for me, and it's ruining my fun.* Nonetheless, the moment he was the right distance ahead of her, she began to follow him the best way she knew how without actually becoming invisible. Slinking along in the shadows, she would appear to someone who was watching as one who is like a thief in the night- often not seen until they're running away with your purse in hand. And that's exactly what she was about to do to our retreating professor.  
  
Jycein stopped just at the Entrance Hall, then he stole across the center of it, apparently trying to fight the urge to break out in a run for the door. Kentarre was not very far behind, and when he opened the front door, she was just close enough to slip out just before the doors closed.  
  
Outside was dark, and as Kentarre looked on, the first snowfall of that winter began. *Hmmm... the snow's late. It should've been here at least a month ago. I'll have to look into that, but in the meantime, where's he going?* Jycein had veered sharply off to the left- to the rear of the castle. Kentarre had only seen what was behind the castle once, and that was from inside. There was the Quidditch field, but beyond that there was some tangled brush that led up to the other edge of the Forbidden Forest. Jycein seemed to be heading for the opposite end of the Quidditch field, but when he got to it he kept on walking. Kentarre skirted the edges of the field and continued on, taking care not to make any noise whatsoever.  
  
Jycein was now wading through the brush, and Kentarre groaned. This was definitely going to increase the amount of noise she was making, and hers would continue after his had stopped. Nonetheless, she lightly stepped over some of the shallower areas, watching, waiting. Up ahead, Jycein stopped and turned his head slightly to the side as if listening for something. Simultaneously, Kentarre did the same, only she was watching him like a hawk watches a rabbit in a field. Then our sneaky professor apparently made some kind of decision and continued on. Kentarre slowly let out the breath that she had inadvertently been holding, and thought to herself, *That was way too close. I'd better find another way.* She bit her lip and thought for a moment. She estimated the height of the grass and stuck her left hand out in front of her, palm down. First, her image disappeared, though she knew that her hand had once again begun to glow. Then, slowly, she lifted off the ground, never taking her eyes from the shadowy figure who was rapidly moving away from her.  
  
*I wonder if he'll be able to detect my magic,* she mused. Then, in a small panic, she thought, *What if he knows I'm following him? He could be just leading me on a wild goose chase through the woods. Hmmm...* Kentarre rose a bit faster now, taking care not to let her cloak billow out and risk the chance of the fabric flapping in her wake. She never took her eyes off her stalkee, making sure that she didn't miss a thing. Then she groaned silently as she realized that she would need to look up to make sure she didn't miss the roof of the castle. She was now a reasonable thirty feet off the ground, and still climbing.  
  
Kentarre quickly turned her head upwards, gathering speed as she went. Snow slapped her face, sending chills through her body as a few stray flakes found their way into the back of her cloak. The roof was only about fifteen feet above her head now; she was nearly there. Almost... almost... she was on. She touched down lightly and immediately swung her head back towards the ground. Jycein was just entering the Forbidden Forest, and Kentarre breathed a prayer of thanksgiving that he had not done so earlier.  
  
She quietly padded along the snow-dusted roof, trying not to lose sight of that personage who was obviously trying so hard to elude her gaze. She could see that he was going away from the castle, so she gently lifted off the roof and sailed off into the air as though she were walking. The man below, who now looked like a small wind-up gadget, had by no means decreased his speed- if anything, he had sped up. She squinted ahead of her, but she could see no specific destination through the trees. Then she reverted her eyes back to the hurrying professor- who was now nowhere to be seen. *Damn! This is not good! Where'd he go?*  
  
Kentarre swiveled left and right, but she had already lost sight of him, who could be anywhere in the Forest by now. The snowstorm, as it promised to be, was picking up slightly, and Kentarre decided disgruntledly that she fare better to continue her search on the ground. *Hey, with any luck, he left a trail.* She began her shivering descent, scraping her clothes and skin on the tightly knitted branches. Suddenly, one swung up from out of nowhere and knocked her off balance, sending her reeling backwards into a tree trunk. She lost her grip on her descent, and she fell tumbling, bumping, crashing down through the branches. She heard herself grunt each time she hit as she came to the thicker lower branches, a little more wind being kicked out of her by each branch that she came in contact with.  
  
Finally, she landed on her hands and knees on the ground, her hands barely feeling the frozen ground underneath her. She crouched there for a moment, attempting to regain some energy in her windpipes. Then, slowly, she stood and checked herself to make sure that all the aching she felt was just that.  
  
From out of nowhere, a violent wind picked up, and Kentarre found herself buffeted by its strength and the snow that it bore, barely able to remain standing. She whirled around to face the gust- but it changed position on her and continued to blow from directly behind her. *What is this?* her mind demanded. *What am I up against?* She tried again to head the wind, but it remained obstinately at her back, refusing to let her see what caused it.  
  
Kentarre shed her cloak, which fell to the forest floor behind her. *Okay, if you want to play that way, I can do that too.* She held up her left hand and balled it into a tight fist. She began to concentrate her thought, and soon the symbol on her hand started to glow. On the back of her hand, a white sphere appeared and slowly grew larger, soon completely surrounding her. The wind stilled- or so it felt to Kentarre, for the sphere did thwart the wind in its efforts to pummel her with snow and cold. She called out menacingly, "Who are you? What do you want?"  
  
A cruel, cold laughter that chilled her more than the snow ever could was her answer. Even more shocking was the fact that the laughter appeared to be coming from just over her shoulder. Kentarre turned her head slightly to the side. "I believe that I asked a question, which would require an answer on your part, pal."  
  
The thing replied in a voice that was soft and eluding, almost inaudible over the noise of the brewing blizzard. "I ammmmm the thinnnng that nnnno onnnne sees... as forrrr what I ammmm, that isss forrrr yyou to guessss, Kennnntarrrrre." Kentarre set her jaw in aggravation. "I see you've been keeping abreast of things. Who sent you?" The creature chuckled. "I llllovve guessssinnnng gammmmes. Wwould yyou llllike to plllllayy?" Kentarre growled back, "I've not got the stomach for them right now, and I'm telling you, neither do you, so why don't you just cut to the chase? Just answer a few questions for me and I'll not bother you. However, if you continue to play around, I can make this a lot harder."  
  
Another chuckle, this time more mocking. "Rrrratherrr tesstyy, arrrren't wwe, Kennnntarrre?" She kept her fury in check and said, "Just tell me this. What do you want?"  
  
"I wwannnt yyourrrr llllittlle Potterrrr frrriennnnd to sstop pokinnnnng arrrrounnnnd innnn mmmmy hidinnnng placesss. I'vve allllso beennnn tolllld to tellllll yyou that a certainnnn ssommmmeonnnne wwilllll be wwaitinnnng forrrr yyou onnnn the rrrrroof of the Ssouth Towwerrrrr onnnn Tuesdayy, Decemmmberrrrr twellllfth."  
  
Kentarre tried hard not to keep from sighing with relief. *That's a little less than a week away. Well, at least that gives me some time to breathe- and think.* "All right," she said aloud. "Tell whoever it is that I'll be there- alone."  
  
"Good. That's the otherrrrr thinnnng I wwass tolllld to sayyy. Wellll, if that'ss alllll, I'lllll be goinnnng nnnnoww. Unnntillll nnnnnext timmmme, thennnn, blllllue warrrriorrrr."  
  
And then it was gone. Kentarre disabled her shield quickly and fetched her cloak from where it had fallen. Without bothering to beat the snow off of it, she put it on and rose up and out of the forest in order to get her bearings. Once she had got sight of the castle again, she lost no time in making for it. Oddly, the snow had stopped, and Kentarre got that tingling feeling that someone was tampering with the weather. *Hmmmph,* she thought wryly, *it's a pity I didn't think of that. I just love messing around with the weather. But that would cause a commotion, and I absolutely hate those.* She mentally sighed. *Oh well. I have plenty else to do besides play around with the sky. Tuesday is fast approaching.*  
  
She frowned in her flight. Kentarre wondered what she was going to do about Potter. *He's too curious for his own good, and unfortunately that could get me into hot water. I'd better think of something to do about him- and fast.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm telling you, this is absolute ludicris!" Ron muttered. Harry secretly agreed with him, but there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
Transfiguration homework had been steadily increasing over the past few days. McGonagall had just spent about fifteen minutes up in front of the class explaining why. "You've got to prepare for your N.E.W.T.s, and the only way to do that is by practicing all that you've learned so far. I'm supposed to drill you on your past Transfigurations lessons so that you can jog your memories, regretful as you are to remember." At this point she had glared sternly around at the lot of them and told them to get to work on their assignments.  
  
Harry sighed. Their load of classwork for the day was way more than they could get done in an hour, so that would also add to their pile of homework that they had been allotted for the day. He inwardly thought that if this kept up, he would still be doing it during Christmas break.  
  
Kentarre, however, seemed to have her mind somewhere else for most of the time. She spent most of her class time staring at the floor or the desk, apparently in deep thought, and she hardly spoke to anyone, even when she was spoken to. Harry had not mentioned this to his friends, but it seemed to him that Kentarre looked more tired and stressed than normal. He vaguely wondered what she was up to, but he kept this to himself as he struggled to get through their enormous overload.  
  
Malfoy also, Harry noticed, had gotten, if possible, even nastier to Kentarre. Usually she was able to blow him off with a few scathing words thrown off here and there, but now he was an obvious constant annoyance to her, and he apparently knew it. Each time Harry saw Malfoy and Kentarre holding conversation, Kentarre always had the same if- you-don't-go-away-I'm-going-to-rip-your-heart-out-and-eat-it-in-front-of- you expression. Malfoy often walked right behind her in the corridors and mumbled in her ear just to force her to say something to him. Harry usually lost sight of them by then, but he was beginning to feel his curiosity taking hold of him. He wanted to know what was going on; for something was going on, he was sure of that. Kentarre didn't even bother coming to dinner anymore like she usually did, though she never ate. That was another thing that hadn't escaped Harry's notice. Instead, Kentarre could usually be found hidden away in the girls' dormitory of the Gryffindor house. Hermione had gone up there to see what she was doing, but so far all she had been able to uncover was that Kentarre was very busy doing something at the window behind Kentarre's bed.  
  
Kentarre herself, if approached about this change in behavior, would simply blow the person off by giving them the most scorching glare she could muster. Harry received one of these himself, and was quite shocked at the amount of hostility that that girl could cram into one stare that lasted probably no longer than three or four seconds. He then concluded that he would have to find out what she was doing by other means.  
  
Ron had asked them, in one of their late night conversations, why they bothered with Kentarre's business anyway. Hermione had said, "Because it apparently involves all of us. This whole thing arose because of an attack on one of Hagrid's wraiths. One thing led to another, and then another, and then another. This is just another one of those things, and I say that we should keep up with what's going on. It could be a lot more important that it seems." Harry himself agreed with her, but he didn't say it; Ron had looked a little disgruntled at this, as if he would rather just forget about it. That night he had been particularly grumpy because of the monumentous load that McGonagall had dumped on them that day, so he was not exactly enthralled about the idea of keeping up with homework and whatever Kentarre might be doing.  
  
Meanwhile, Kentarre had been watching Harry very closely while she was concocting up her rather complicated plan, and she noticed that he seemed to be the one out of all three of them with the most interest in what she was doing. Sure, Hermione agreed with him, but with Harry, it seemed to be something more than just Hagrid's pets that concerned him. As usual, Kentarre was present in the common room when they had their late night talks; she had had a very stern conversation with one very shameful falcon, and he had grouchily promised to take all future packages straight to the dormitory. Harry had expressed a stronger reasoning for keeping up with Kentarre's doings around the school. She silently congratulated him. She knew that, though his interest in her activities might eventually get in the way, it would in the meantime give her a challenge. It would also let her know that, as long as she kept what she was doing a secret from Harry, then she could be fairly sure that no one else knew about it either. *But what about Jycein?* a small subconscious voice piped. *Hmmm... I'll have to keep an eye on him too... there are still some spaces that need filling where he's concerned. But that's only a matter of time. Once my plan's in place, all of it will begin to fall in line.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
All of the classes for fifth years were now intensifying more than ever. Ron frequently came out of classes griping about how much homework had been assigned. Kentarre didn't pay much attention; she was too busy waiting for the right time to set her plan in motion. It was now Friday, and of course, they had been shouldered with plenty of occupation for the weekend. Kentarre, however, did not quite feel weighted; rather, she had a peculiar sense of lightness, and it felt somehow fake, and that made Kentarre a little uneasy. *I smell magic, and it's not the usual stuff that goes around this place. Someone's pulling strings, and I bet I know who.*  
  
Kentarre stopped at the cracked entrance to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. She could hear Jycein moving around in there, doing what Kentarre couldn't guess. His breathing sounded laboured, as though he were working very hard to do two things at once. Kentarre bit her lip and concentrated her magic, and she felt the light feeling disappear. Inside, she heard Jycein let out a loud, startled breath, and then she heard him groan. *Ha,* she thought triumphantly, *I knew it. I bet that was a rather nasty shock for old Jycein.*  
  
And then Kentarre remembered something. In that conversation that had gone on between Jycein and that guy named Lucius, Lucius had called Jycein 'Learst.' *Could it be the same one? That very same Learst? But... what would he be doing here? Well, that explains how he knows who I am. Hmmmm... very clever of him, taking a disguise like that. Even I didn't go that far. If it is him. I'll have to look into that one...* Kentarre started off down the hall. *This changes things, because if I'd known that, it could have saved me a lot of trouble. This calls for executing the plan earlier than I had previously planned... drat. Oh well, here goes.*  
  
Kentarre began to walk a little faster, heading for the Entrance Hall. Potter was there, and so were Ron and Hermione. She immediately made a beeline for where they were standing, but she was waylaid- by Malfoy. "Where're you going in such a hurry, Hisakata? Going to see your boyfriend, Potter?"  
  
"Not now, Malfoy. I haven't got time to chitchat with you today."  
  
"Oh, it's important, is it?"  
  
"No, it's none of your business. Now go away."  
  
"But I don't feel like going away today, Hisakata. As a matter of fact-"  
  
"As a matter of fact, Malfoy, you should go away, point blank, before I decide to get more than just pissed."  
  
"Ooh, touchy today, are we? What's the matter, your boyfriend break up with you? Is that why you're in such a hurry?"  
  
"Leave it alone, Malfoy."  
  
"But why should I?"  
  
"Because I said so. That should be sufficient enough."  
  
"You don't order me around, Hisakata."  
  
"No, but my fist can."  
  
"All right then, let's see it."  
  
Kentarre already had her wand out. She suddenly whirled around and there was a flash of blue light that should have been no more than a blur to anyone who was watching at that moment. Suddenly, Malfoy found himself unable to talk. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. He appeared to be saying something very nasty to Kentarre, and she leaned closer with her hand to her ear and said, "What's that? You'll have to speak up, Malfoy, I can't hear a word you're saying!" Chortling with the rest of the hall, she swept away through the semi-cheering crowd towards Harry and the others, who were all looking at her inquisitively. Ron asked eagerly, "What happened? Was there a fight?" Kentarre smirked and said cryptically, "Oh, nothing really. Mr. Malfoy won't be able to say who hexed him, after all, because he has been left rather speechless." Harry said incredulously, "You?" Kentarre's smirk widened. "He's an annoying little twerp, and that's all that needs saying.  
  
"On a more serious note," she continued, her smirk vanishing, "Harry, I want to talk you you on Sunday night at midnight in the common room. You can bring these two if you want, but it's you I want to talk to."  
  
Harry's eyes looked questioning, but he agreed to meet her there at midnight. Kentarre nodded and then swiftly walked back out of the Entrance Hall, leaving them to their confused questions. 


	8. Truth Number Three

Chapter 8: Truth Number Three  
  
  
  
  
  
Saturday was to be the trip to Hogsmeade that the school would take before Christmas. Most people were talking about what they would get their friends for Christmas, but Kentarre, as she often did, said not a word. Some people were spreading a rumor that Dumbledore would hold a Secret Santa system, but Kentarre thought this utterly ridiculous; the Dumbledore that she had come to know just might do that sort of thing, and Kentarre absolutely hated that sort. Kentarre preferred, as she usually did, to sit back and watch for anything to happen to the big picture, while others focused in on their own little worlds. This, she had found, was usually the time when something outside of the festivities did happen, but no one noticed it until it was too late. *The most dangerous time of the year is when no one thinks that anything could go wrong. Everyone's guard is switched completely off. It's so frustrating.*  
  
Kentarre leaned against the wall and stared at the floor. Harry and his friends were right around the corner, and she had a pretty good earful of what they were saying. Fred and George Weasley were making big plans for their trip to Hogsmeade the next day. "We have all kinds of things that we need to stock up on from Zonko's. But that's top secret; wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, now, would we?"  
  
There was a pause, in which Kentarre was sure the Weasley twins looked at each other and everyone looked at them.  
  
Just then, the bell sounded for them to get back to class. Everyone moved off, including Kentarre, who wanted to make sure not to arouse any suspicions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with her on her way. Harry was saying, "So, Kentarre, do you think that the Secret Santa thing is really going on?" Kentarre's mouth curled upward in a wry smile. "It's unfortunately possible," she replied. "Dumbledore seems the kind of teacher that would do that to his students."  
  
Hermione said, "I think it's a waste of time, since you're going to get something for all of your friends anyway." Kentarre nodded. "It's definitely a waste of time... unless you get to give a present to your worst enemy. That would make it worth my while." The others laughed, and they continued the long way towards Divination.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hogsmeade was bustling with a mixed crowd, as was usual around Christmas. All kinds of people, both magical creatures and wizards, mingled in the slough of Hogwarts students that day. Harry had convinced Kentarre to come along with them so they could show her the sights, but Ron had thought she had come along for another reason. "She doesn't need you to show her around," he had said Friday night. "The way she sees it, she owes you one. You're going to go and listen to whatever it is she has to say to you on Sunday, so she's going to come along with us when we go to Hogsmeade."  
  
Harry had thought perhaps that was true, but she had still told him straight out that she wanted to pay a visit to a few shops of her own- alone. "There are some things I want to buy, and I don't want anyone getting suspicious. Those stores are not exactly the kind you see a whole crowd of young people going into. I can usually get into these places without catching anyone's attention, but you three will just slow me down. I'll meet you back at Madam Rosmerta's for a butterbeer or two." Ron had asked, "Which stores might those be?" Kentarre had given him a withering glare that quite plainly told him he was being nosy, and he had not pursued the subject.  
  
Hermione herself had also been interested in the location and nature of these shops, and she proposed to Harry that they follow her. She had stated quite plainly, "I want to know if she's planning anything illegal." Harry had replied, "I doubt it's anything that serious, but all the same, I agree; we should follow her."  
  
So here they were; the sky had finally decided that it was winter, and the snow now came down on them with full force. The street that Kentarre had unwittingly taken them to was rather devoid of people. The shops looked very run-down, and the signs outside of them were worn and, for the most part, illegible. There were a few well-kept shops here and there, but they didn't seem to sell anything that interested their silver-capped friend.  
  
The girl led them onwards through the snow-ridden streets, coming to what might have been a dirtier part of town had it not been for all the snow. The shop signs were now in such a condition that many of them swung from one hinge or did not swing at all, but had fallen to the ground. Harry wondered to himself what Kentarre could possibly want from this side of Hogsmeade, but the answers that came to him implied many things, so he shuddered away from the question and put his focus on not losing the black clad girl up ahead of them.  
  
So far, the trio had been able to stick to the side of the street; the shops each had a small overhang, so the three friends had mainly walked under this, hoping to remain out of the snow and to avoid being caught by Kentarre or worse. However, now they could see that their refuge was coming to an end. A wall of stone now blocked their path under the eaves, forcing them to turn outwards into the growing blizzard. As they drew nearer to the wall, Harry heard the chatter of many voices coming from ahead and to their right. The wall seemed to come up right after the entrance to some central meeting place for the inhabitants of the area.  
  
Hermione tugged on the two boys' sleeves, beckoning them to turn out into the snow now so as not to be caught at the entrance of such a place. Ron looked reluctant, as did Harry; he communicated that he wanted to go and have a quick look. Hermione shook her head firmly, but Harry whispered, "A quick look won't hurt. Let's just go and see what's inside." Harry continued to walk towards the sound of the talking, and Ron followed close behind him with a very disgruntled Hermione in tow.  
  
The noise was coming from a wide double-doorway that was bordered on both sides by two tall, thin window panes. Harry peeked through one of these and saw what seemed to be a busy, populated tavern. And from the looks of it, it indeed was a central meeting place. There were several round wooden tables at which were seated the brunt of the wizarding community: hags, ogres, and a few people who looked as though they might be vampires. Some of the table groups were shouting drunkenly, but others did not speak at all, and stared around at the other occupants of the bar. A fiddler stood playing in one corner; a closer look told Harry that this fiddler was a wood elf. An even closer look revealed the shackles around the elf's ankles as she played that were attached to a ball and chain. The elf suddenly locked eyes with him, and the look she gave him was one that would have made even Malfoy's heart soften with pity.  
  
Just then, someone else caught the boy wizard's eye. He was sitting in a corner at a table for one, sipping slowly at a tankard and watching the other tenants carefully. He was dressed in a black traveler's cloak, and the hood was pulled over his head. The figure turned his head towards the door, and Harry saw that it wasn't a he, it was a she! It was also not any she, it was Kentarre!! Harry quickly dashed back behind the wall, dragging Ron and Hermione with him by the backs of their robes. "What?" whispered Ron. Harry said, "Kentarre's in there. We should find someplace to hide where we can watch her." Hermione asked, "Are you sure?" Harry nodded. Hermione pursed her lips. "Here," she said, pointing to the side of the building, "let's go see if we can find a window down that alleyway."  
  
The alleyway of which she spoke was rather cramped- so cramped, in fact, that they could only fit down in single file. Ron would go in first, because he was the tallest, to see if they could find a window that would look down on Kentarre. Hermione would be next, and lastly Harry, because he was skinniest and could get out the fastest. Ron told them to wait out there until he could get situated with his ventage spot, because he might not be tall enough to see through, and he might need something to stand on. The window was small, but just large enough, and Ron indeed was not quite tall enough to see their black-robed quarry. Harry found an empty beer keg and brought it to Ron for him to stand on. "I can see her," hissed Ron, and Hermione then took this opportunity to slide in after him. Harry, after looking around to make sure no one saw them, then backed into the small excuse for an alley.  
  
The alleyway was absolutely filthy. Dust from the street coated the ground, and the walls were wearing away. A few empty beer bottles were at the rear, and there was graffiti even on the walls in this godforsaken place. Hermione sneezed once, and the entire company froze; Ron's eyes nearly bulged from trying to see if Kentarre had heard anything, but she apparently hadn't. All three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief, each trying not to stir up any more dirt.  
  
Just then, Ron called out, "She's getting up. It looks like she's going to the exit." Harry took this time to poke one eye around the corner to see if Kentarre would indeed come out of the front door. Suddenly, there came a very loud shout from inside, followed by a deafening crash. More shouts came, and another crash, like the sound of splintering wood. Ron reported, "There's a brawl! I can't see a thing! Harry, did she come out yet?" Harry had watched the door throughout this entire making of noise, and he had not seen anyone leave by way of the front door, so he told the others so.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione was caught in the middle of this, and she didn't like it at all. "What do you see?" she asked Ron frantically. Ron replied without taking his eyes off the window, "Well, there's this big fellow who's beating the you-know-what out of some other guy, and there's a whole lot of people shouting and yelling- wait a minute, there she is!"  
  
"What!" cried Harry, "You see her?"  
  
"Yes!" continued Ron. "She's walking over towards the door!" Harry poked his head once more around the corner just in time to see a figure robed in black exit through the front. Harry whispered, "She's out. Let's go!" With that, he popped out of the alley and started off after her. After he had gone a few feet, he turned around to find that Hermione had caught her robe on something, trapping herself and Ron inside. Harry hurried back to help them, but he couldn't seem to get Hermione's robe untangled. "Hurry!" hissed Hermione. "We're making a big fuss! If we're not careful, she'll hear us!" Ron said sardonically, "Who could hear anything above the mess in there?" Even so, Harry tried and tried again. Finally, he got her robe unhooked. Hermione almost fell out of the tight space, followed closely by Ron. Harry went out to search the street. "She's nowhere in sight," he groaned. "Now what do we do?"  
  
Ron caught up with him. "I don't see her anywhere," he announced. "She couldn't have gotten that far, though. Maybe she went into one of these shops. Let's have a look around. I'll take this one up here, and Harry, you and Hermione take the other side of the street." Harry warned, "Try not to let her see you, if you find her. If we're caught, this entire investigation will go up in smoke." Hermione came up behind them. "Enough chitchat!" she snapped. "It's too cold. Let's hurry up and get this over with." She marched off towards the other side of the street. Harry and Ron exchanged a look before Harry went off after her, leaving Ron to shake his head and start looking.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione finally found Kentarre in a run-down pawn shop farther down the street. Kentarre was talking to the clerk at the counter; they seemed to be having a friendly conversation, because every once in a while Kentarre would smile and the shopkeeper would chuckle. Kentarre, it seemed, had not purchased anything yet, and she looked to be taking her time. Harry called Ron over, and the three of them crouched near the bottom of the shop window. Harry hissed, "Can you hear anything they're saying?"  
  
"Nothing," replied Hermione. Ron shook his head. Then Ron's face became thoughtful. "What?" whispered Harry. Ron put a finger to his lips and began to crawl towards the door of the pawn shop. Harry and Hermione exchanged a look, and then their attention was drawn back to Ron when the red-haired boy whispered, "I can hear them. I can hear what they're saying." Harry looked at him. Ron had his ear pressed to the space between the door and the ground outside. He continued, "Kentarre is telling him that she isn't going to stay in this part of town too long... she's explaining about the one-day Hogsmeade trip from Hogwarts. He laughed at her and asked her why she bothered when she could come anytime... she told him that she has some business left to wrap up before she heads back... he asked her what she was doing here in the first place, and she said she was looking for some essentials and that she was hoping he'd have what she's looking for. He's now being the shopkeeper. She asked him what he had in the way of black fingerless gloves, and he's leading her away... I can't hear any more. They went into the back of the store."  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron shared a moment of silence, in which unspoken questions buzzed like flies. Each one of them was certainly as lost as the others, but no one could seem to make any guesses. Hermione then seemed to come to herself, and she said in a rush, "Well, we should get out of here. They could be back at any time, and we want to be well out of here when Kentarre walks back out through that door." Ron asked, "Why? What if she goes to another store?" Hermione replied, "She said that she'd meet us back at Madam Rosmerta's, and I want to go look at some of the other stores before we have to leave. We've all got better things to do than to hang around this place for who knows how long." Harry had no choice but to agree with her, so the three of them got up, brushed the snow and dirt off of each other, and headed back down the street at a rather nervous pace, not wanting to be seen by any of the other frequents of this part of Hogsmeade. Harry vaguely wondered aloud, "I wonder why we've never found this part of Hogsmeade before? I wonder how no one else has found it?" Ron shrugged, but Hermione said informantly, "Well, I don't see why anyone from Hogwarts would have any kind of business down here, but apparently Kentarre does. And another thing, if anyone found this part, there wouldn't be much to tell, would there?" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Each of them knew that if they had been the first to find this corner, they both would have plenty to tell.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's really none of your business in the first place," Kentarre scolded Harry. Harry replied, "Well, what else were we supposed to do? I mean, you practically told us to follow along behind and see what you were up to! Or at least, that's what I got from it!" Ron nodded, but Hermione looked away. *How could we not have seen this?* Hermione asked herself. *She wanted us to follow her! We should have known. But... what did she want us to see? I'm fairly sure she didn't drag us along so we could see a fistfight in a bar, but... what else?*  
  
Kentarre said, "Well, what's done is done. I guess I should have expected it. You didn't see much, did you?" Ron shook his head. "Not unless you count a bar brawl and you buying something from a pawn shop. By the way, what did you buy?"  
  
Kentarre pulled her hands out of her pockets. On them were a pair of worn but still intact black fingerless thin leather gloves. Ron looked closer. They were good-looking gloves, considering the type that one normally finds in a pawn shop. Harry thought he saw a few drops of something red on them before Kentarre shoved her hands back in her pockets. Ron asked, "And what's in the bag?" Kentarre replied shortly, "A few of the essentials. It's just some things I thought I might need later." She made no move to bring up the bag, so Ron, Harry, and Hermione all exchanged a look, but none of them said any more.  
  
Harry took a sip of his butterbeer. Kentarre had chosen the table that was the most secluded; it was located away from the central business area, and was tucked away in a corner that was almost hidden by one corner of the counter. Harry marveled that they hadn't found this table already, but then he told himself that if other customers hadn't noticed it, there was a perfectly good reason that they hadn't either.  
  
Kentarre looked up from her tankard and locked eyes with Harry. After a few seconds she dropped her eyes to the table and said in an offhand way, "Hey, I'd kinda appreciate it if you didn't mention to any of the other students that I went to that part of Hogsmeade. Strictly speaking, students aren't supposed to be going in there, but I finagled Dumbledore into allowing me to get in. They don't sell these in any other store here." She held up one hand, indicating the glove that encased it. "Not to mention," she added with a smile, "that I know the shopkeeper of the shop I knew would have what I needed."  
  
Harry considered this. He had really hoped that he could use this as one up on Malfoy, but he told himself that Kentarre could always tell Dumbledore that they had followed her. He said finally, "All right. We'll keep it under wraps." Ron's glance was one of mild shock, but he said nothing. Hermione looked quizzically at him, and he gave her a look in return that said 'later.'  
  
Kentarre was not aware of the transfer that was going on. She was still staring at the table, lost in deep thought. *Tomorrow's Sunday... and I still don't know how I'm going to put this to him. Granted, he doesn't need a whole long explanation just yet, so all I have to tell him is what he needs to know to get him to help me. After Tuesday, if he has any questions, I'll answer them to a certain extent. If he asks.*  
  
"Hey, Kentarre," said a familar drawling voice. Kentarre didn't look up from the table. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she grated back. She could sense him leaning in closer, but she still would not look at him. "I want to talk to you a minute. Now, outside." Kentarre replied waspishly, "Why should I?" She could almost feel the smirk spread across his face. "Because if you don't, I'll tell Dumbledore where you've been."  
  
"Dumbledore already knows, twerp. What interests me is how you found out."  
  
"I saw you go around the corner. I figured out from there where you were going."  
  
"Very good. So the shell has a brain after all. I must congratulate you on that stroke of genius. Must have been a real strain."  
  
Malfoy scowled at her. "I'll see you outside, then?" he murmured, and walked off towards the door, followed closely by his two oversized cronies. Kentarre made to get up. Harry asked, "Where are you going? You're not actually going to go talk to him, are you?" Kentarre shrugged. "The way I see it, if it was worth being humiliated, then it's worth hearing. He knew that I would tell him off, and he came up anyway. Stupid, but he must have a real cause for that." Harry spoke again. "You don't know Malfoy, Kentarre," he warned. "It's probably some kind of threat, or something awful." Kentarre said shortly, "Potter, don't you know by now that there's nothing that Malfoy can hold over me, and that I can take care of myself?" Without another word, she left the table and headed for the exit.  
  
When she got outside, she walked up to Malfoy, who had turned around and seemed to be waiting for her. "Okay, what's so important that it couldn't be said in there?" she snapped, and folded her arms across her chest. Malfoy looked her coolly in the face. "Why are you hanging around Potter and his goons?" he asked her accusingly. Kentarre did the smallest of doubletakes. "Why should it bother you?" she replied coldly. His eyes narrowed. "Because you could have a friend like me. I offered it to you once, but you wouldn't take it. And now I'm offering it again. Just to be diplomatic." Kentarre cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, that's all, is is? Diplomacy? Give me a break. What's the real reason, Malfoy?"  
  
Malfoy's jaw tensed, and his eyes flashed furiously. "Because you're not supposed to be with him, you're supposed to be with me!!" he exploded, keeping his voice to a low minimum. Kentarre almost laughed in his face. "And what makes you think I'm 'with' Potter, eh, Malfoy? And why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Kentarre was doing it on purpose. She knew his real reason, but she wanted to make him say it. It was cruel and unusual punishment at its worst, but hey, it got him back for all the times he was nasty to her... well, she usually beat him in their battles of wits anyway, but this was still way more fun.  
  
Malfoy said in reply, "Everyone says that you and Potter have a thing going on." Kentarre tsk-tsked at him. "Never assume anything that you haven't seen with your own eyes. Remember that, Malfoy, and say that again." Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Let's just get to the point, shall we?" he suggested. Kentarre said, "But wait, Malfoy, you haven't answered my other question. Why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Malfoy's pale cheeks, for the first time in Kentarre's sight, took on a very faint shade of rouge. "Because I want you to, that's why," he said bluntly. "There, I said it. What are you going to do now?" For a moment, Kentarre was very tempted to burst out laughing right in his pasty face, but she resisted it. *The poor kid's already been through enough just getting himself to come out and say it. I'll give him a break- just this once.* Kentarre inhaled sharply. "All right, Malfoy, I'll play along. But don't start getting any ideas, all right? This is just to surprise Potter." Malfoy's eyes glinted a kind of surprised relief. "You'll go steady with me?" he asked incredulously. Kentarre replied, "That's what I said, isn't it? But I have one question. What happened to that girl, Parkinson? Didn't you and she have a thing?" Malfoy's cheeks turned just a shade darker. "Well..." he began, but Kentarre held up a hand. "Say no more, Draco," she said, and walked back into the shop without looking back.  
  
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"Okay then, why don't you start, since it was your idea in the first place?" Midnight on Sunday had come quicker than Harry or the others had expected, but for Kentarre, it had crept at a snail's pace. And unfortunately for her, she still had no idea how she was going to break this to him, but she told herself that she would just wing it from there. Now Harry was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to begin.  
  
"Well, Potter," she began, "I wanted to talk to you here and alone because I have some business that I need some help with. It's okay that those two are here, but the one that I really wanted to talk to about this was you." She paused to make sure that they were following her so far; Kentarre saw three pairs of expectant eyes that seemed like lamps. She continued, "This business is not what you might call business. It's more in the way of... a fight." Hermione said, "You're going to fight someone? Do you know how much trouble you could get in for that?" Kentarre held her hand up. "I'm not going to fight a student, Hermione. I have received a challenge from outside of the castle. However, it was not brought to me by the person I'm going to fight. It was brought to me by a creature that I cannot see.  
  
"I have thought this over for a while, and I've realized that I cannot do this alone. I've wanted to know for a long time what this creature is and why I cannot see it. I have searched through every treatise, record, and information compilation, but there is no written evidence of any such creature existing. I have concluded that in order to see this creature, someone else must look for me. That is where you come in, Potter. While I am fighting my challenger, I want you to try to see this thing, whatever it is. Do you understand? Know that I cannot force you to do this; all I can do is ask."  
  
Kentarre gave Harry an expectant stare, as if waiting for some kind of statement from him. Harry found himself gazing intently at the floor. "I... I don't know," he said slowly. Kentarre took a breath. "The fight is set for Tuesday night. It will take place on the roof of the South Tower."  
  
"The roof of the South Tower?" Harry echoed. "And just how are you planning to get up there?" asked Hermione. Kentarre smirked. "Fly, of course. You remember that package that I bought from the pawn shop, right? Well, that was one of the essentials: a broom. I am not incorrect in assuming that you also have a broom, am I, Potter?" Harry shook his head, and Kentarre smiled slightly. "Well then," she said, "what do you say, Potter? I have to tell you that I cannot force you to do this for me, but if you do, I can promise that we won't get caught."  
  
Harry looked up sharply. "How can you do that?" he asked suspiciously. Kentarre's smile stayed put, and her eyes looked mysterious as she said, "Just trust me on this one. We won't get caught." Harry looked doubtful, but not as doubtful as Hermione. Kentarre glanced at Hermione's face. The dirty blonde girl was looking at her with eyes that were most distrusting, and her mouth was set in a position that said I- don't-like-this-at-all and why-are-you-asking-Harry-to-do-this. Kentarre looked back to Harry to see what his reaction was. He was looking at Ron, who shrugged. Then Harry went back to staring off into space for a moment, and Kentarre leaned slightly back in her chair, waiting. After a pause, Harry said, "I don't know why, but all right." Hermione cried out, "Harry!", and Harry said in reply, "Maybe this will answer some of the questions we've been wanting answered. Besides, what harm can it do? She said we won't get caught. I'm not sure if I trust her or not, but I'm going to go." Kentarre bowed her head. "Thank you, Potter. I'm sure that your help will be needed, in one way or another."  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but after a warning glance from Ron, she shut it. Harry looked at Ron, who looked as though he wasn't sure what to do. Harry looked back at Kentarre, who was eyeing him with an odd gleam in her eye. "Potter," she said after a spell, "there are some things I would like to tell you. These things are all true, and you will need to know them if you are to get through this year alive." All three of them perked up in their chairs, watching her intently. Ron started to ask, "What do you mean by that?" but Kentarre stopped him with a hand. "Please, let me finish. There are three things you should know. One, I'm not quite sure you fully understand who we're up against, so I'm going to give you a hint." Harry interrupted, "I thought you said you didn't know who you were going to fight."  
  
Kentarre shook her head. "No, no. I'm not talking about Tuesday. I'm speaking of the fight that you engage in even now, that is going on outside of these walls even as we speak, that you have no knowledge of until now. Your fight against the one you call Voldemort goes on, Potter. This is but another stage. However, some other elements have come into play that you were not aware of before now. One of these elements is that something about Voldemort will be revealed to you very soon. I cannot tell you what it is at the moment, but you will know of it when you are ready to accept it." Kentarre noticed that Ron had winced just barely when she said the name 'Voldemort', but she did not bring it to the others' attention. Harry was looking at her with the tiniest bit of surprise. Hermione was looking interested and rather breathless, and she seemed to be on the edge of her seat. Kentarre tried not to smile and continued.  
  
"Secondly, I will tell you something else about Voldemort. I have received word from outside of the castle that he is mobilized- and heading for Hogwarts." At this, Hermione gasped, Ron looked petrified, and Harry's face showed complete shock. "I thought he wasn't strong enough to attack the castle," breathed Harry. Kentarre declined her face a little. "I know, but somehow when he regained his powers, something else came to him, something that he had never been able to access before that is now within his grasp. I dare not speak its name here, for to do so would risk being overheard or worse, but I tell you now: expect the worst." She paused to give them time to gather themselves once more before she continued. "Thirdly," she began again, "there is something you should know about me." Once again, all three of their expressions changed to identical ones of captivated interest. Kentarre took a deep breath and went on. "I cannot say much, but you need to know this if I am to do this thing right. After all, I do have a duty to Dumbledore and a responsibility to you. I owe you this, Potter, for consenting to help me. I am not who you think I am at all. In fact, I don't think you can even fathom how much you don't know about me. But that is all I will say; my obligation has compelled me to say this much, and no more." 


	9. Answers

Chapter 9: Answers  
  
  
  
  
  
Kentarre let this sink in. *Hmm... bet they weren't expecting that one. Oh well.* Harry and Ron tried not to look stunned, and Hermione had an expression that clearly said I-knew-it-all-along. Kentarre caught her eyes and held them, knowing full well that Hermione was the only one among them that had the slightest suspicion that Kentarre was not quite who she seemed. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "That last bit was a little vague," she said, mainly, Kentarre guessed, for the others' benefit. "I don't suppose we could persuade you to confide any more, hmm?"  
  
Kentarre held her solemn gaze. "I should think I'd told you plenty. You're smart; you'll be able to figure things out from there. That little bit was simply a nudge in the right direction," she replied, then looked quickly at the other two. Harry was gazing at the floor and looking troubled about something, as though he longed to say something but couldn't, and Ron was biting his lip. Kentarre's gaze went from Harry to Ron and back to Harry to fix on him. "Spit it out, Potter," she said sharply, making him start. "It won't do any good if you don't say it."  
  
Harry looked at her dubiously, and she prompted him with her eyes. "How do you know so much about this?" he blurted. "How do you know so much more than we do? How did you find all this out?" Kentarre leaned back in her chair. "It's simple, Potter," she answered. "I told you, I'm not who you think I am. But I can tell you no more than that. I'm sorry." Ron's eyes then lit just a little, and he looked at Harry and Hermione meaningfully. Kentarre read the exchange and said nothing. Then Hermione stood. "Well, it's getting late. We should turn in," she said, waiting for the other two to agree with her. Harry took the hint and also rose, saying, "Goodnight, Kentarre." Ron nodded at her, as if to say, 'What he said,' and then he followed Harry toward the boys' staircase. Hermione went to the foot of her staircase, but then stopped. "Are you coming?" she asked, turning her head to face Kentarre. Kentarre pretended not to hear her. Instead, she leaned over to one side of her chair and pulled out her black drawstring bag that contained her reed pipes. Hermione saw this and continued up the stairs.  
  
Once she heard the door to the girls' dormitory shut, Kentarre took out her pipes and began to play. This melody, however, was different from the ones she had played for the trio. No, this song was soft and haunting, and very familiar to Kentarre. She played it with relish, glad to hear something of home, something that reminded her of where she truly belonged. She let the tones slowly lull her, and when the song was finished, she leaned far back in her chair and thought of home, that place that she had called her own for her entire life. She remembered the faces of the people who were close to her, and she smiled gently to herself. Slowly, she inhaled a deep breath, filling her mind with those fragrances that characterized her home, almost actually smelling them because of the vividness of the memory. *Only three years ago I was there,* she realized. *Oh, to be there once more!*  
  
Kentarre sighed, and picked up the pipes again. She turned them over and fingered the runes that had been carved on the underside by her own hand. The runes read, in her language, "Whoever finds music, finds freedom." She smiled to herself, and then put the pipes to her lips. This time, the music that came out was her own song that she had written herself, one she had played many a time, and one that she loved dearly. The notes wrapped themselves around her, engulfing her in their comfort and expression of self, her self, her being. Kentarre felt herself long to fly with the music out to whoever might hear it; she felt her soul fighting to get out of her and join the music in its flight out of the window, down the wall of the castle, and into the night.  
  
And then it was over. Many a time had Kentarre improvised this music to make it last longer, but it never seemed to last long enough. She bowed her head and allowed the memory of the music to echo off of the walls and come floating back to rest with her. Then she replaced her reeds in their bag, stood, and glided out of the room. She ascended the stair without a creak, not wanting to break the enormous and living silence after one has finished playing a piece that one put one's soul into. She entered the dormitory and went to bed, dreaming, for the first time since coming to Hogwarts, of flying over dark hills and mountains and meadows shimmering with early dew.  
  
* * * 5 hours later* * *  
  
Kentarre suddenly awoke, sitting straight upright in bed. Her heart was beating in a very fast rhythm, and her eyes gleamed in the light that poured through the crack in the other side of the curtain- the one near the window. Kentarre got out of bed via this parting and went to the window. Outside, the grounds looked peaceful and serene in the weakening moonlight, but Kentarre was not calmed by this. *Something's wrong,* she thought. She thought very fast, and finally decided to go downstairs into the common room to think some more. She pulled on her black cloak, which, surprisingly, had fallen to the floor from its spot at the end of her bed.  
  
She went down to the common room and began to pace the floor. *Why did I wake up? Something's not right, but what is it?* She stopped pacing suddenly because she heard a noise that sounded as if it was coming from the boys' staircase. It also sounded like the noise someone might make if one was enduring serious pain. *Potter! So that's why I woke up!*  
  
Kentarre crept silently up the boys' stairs and up to the fifth years' door. *Someone else had better not wake up, else I'll never hear the end of this,* she warned herself, and pushed the door open. Inside was all dark; it seemed that everyone was sleeping soundly- everyone, that is, except for one person. Kentarre located the bed from which the noises came, and she slunk around the edge of the room until she came to this bed. *I really shouldn't be here,* she told herself, and she stopped in her tracks. *I can always ask him about it in the morning. Besides, what if I interrupt him in the middle of an important dream? Assuming that that's what it is. All right. Even though I won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night, I'm going back.*  
  
With that, she turned and started off towards the door, but before she could get to it, the sounds of pain from Potter's (she guessed) bed stopped. She heard a sound like someone letting out an enormous breath that they had been holding for two minutes, and then she heard a bed creak. She stopped in her tracks and looked for something to hide behind. Not wanting to hide behind someone's bed for fear of them waking, she slipped behind the mirror that was by the door. Not daring to peek around, Kentarre's ears perked, listening with all their might. She couldn't be sure, but she seemed to hear someone get out of his bed and pad across the room just to Kentarre's left. The window was in that vicinity, and Kentarre could almost see it. She moved into position and saw Potter in his PJs standing at the window, staring blankly out. Beads of sweat glimmered on his forehead, and his scar stood out more vividly than before. His bangs clung to his forehead, and his chest rose rapidly, as if he had been running very fast. Kentarre watched him closely, watched his fingers tremble at his side, watched his breathing gradually slow, watched him slowly bring one hand to his forehead to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, watched him turn his head to lock eyes with her. He started severely, and she held out her hands to tell him to calm down. It looked as though she had given him quite a scare, but he didn't move. She brought one finger to her lips, and then inclined her head towards the door. To give him the idea, she turned around and headed for the door herself, opening it and then waiting for him to get the message.  
  
It took a few seconds, but Harry finally got it that she wanted to talk. His eyes were very wide as he passed her, but she let him go down the stairs first. Once they got downstairs, he turned around to meet her as she came down. "What were you doing in there?" he asked quietly, sounding more shocked than angry. Kentarre told him bluntly, "Sit down." He shook his head. "No," he refused, "not until you tell me what you were doing in the boys' dormitory at 3:00 in the morning!"  
  
She put a finger to her lips and said shortly, "You woke me up." He did a double take, and then said incredulously, "No, I didn't!" She tensed her jaw and replied, "If you sit down, I'll explain. Now, you can make this as hard as you want, but I promise you I will have my answers by the time that sun rises." Harry seemed to have a reply to that, but then thought better of it. He plopped down into a nearby armchair and said, "Okay, talk." Kentarre also sat and said, "I told you that you woke me up, and that's not exactly correct. Your dream woke me up." At this, Harry's person completely changed. His eyes went from accusing to a mix of incredulity and fear, his lips went slack, and his shoulders relaxed. She nodded at him as if to say 'It's true,' and then she went on. "Now I'm going to ask you something: what was that dream about?"  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment, as if he didn't want to talk about it just yet, and she said sharply, "I want to make sure that it doesn't fade from your memory before I hear about it. I'm sorry if this is painful, but I'm not like Dumbledore. I need to know." Harry took a slow, deep breath and said, "Well, I dreamed that I was in a forest somewhere, and it was nighttime all around. There was a light coming through the trees, so I followed it. There, in the middle of the forest, was something that was a kind of cleared area, and there were people all around dressed in black hooded robes. They looked very busy, and they were rushing around in a big hurry. It looked kind of like they were building something. There were small fires built all around, and there were people crouching over them too. I went on through the workers, and, like the other dreams I've had like this, they couldn't see me. Anyway, I found this cut off section of the clearing, and standing there talking to somebody was- was... Voldemort. I couldn't see his face because his back was turned, but he was talking to another person." Here Harry paused, as if he didn't know how to go on. "Did you know this person?" she asked, as if guessing the truth. Harry nodded. "His name is Peter Pettigrew, but everyone calls him Wormtail. You don't know him, but he's kind of like-"  
  
Kentarre interrupted him, "I know who he is, Potter. Get on with it." Harry looked surprised, but shook it off and continued. "They were talking about someone who, I figured from what they were saying, had done something to mess them up. I listened long enough to figure out who they were talking about, and then I moved in closer. Then-"  
  
"Wait, wait, hold on, Potter! Who were they talking about?"  
  
"Well, you won't know who I'm talking about-"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"They were talking about this girl that we met in the Forbidden Forest the other day. Wormtail called her the blue warrior, but Voldemort called her Zorensei." Kentarre leaned back just slightly in her chair. "All right," she said after a few minutes, "then what happened?" Harry ran his tongue across his lips and said, "Well, they were saying that she had become a real problem, and that they were going to have to do something about her. Then Voldemort seemed to want to be alone to think, because he sent Wormtail off somewhere." Harry paused again, and then he went on, his voice much quieter now. "After Wormtail had gone, he turned around- and looked me square in the face. It was as if he knew I was there. That's when my scar started to burn. And then I woke up." Kentarre allowed this to sink into the silence before she spoke again. "Well, I'm glad I got that whole story before you forgot some of the details. But I have one question. That forest they were in- did it seem familiar? Could you tell me where it was, if I asked?"  
  
Harry thought for a moment, his eyes on the floor, his face set in concentration. "I don't know," he said finally. "It's almost all a blur now. It seemed that the dream was very close, though. Maybe..." Harry paused, and his eyes darted to the window and back to Kentarre. Kentarre caught every bit. "The Forbidden Forest?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "I don't know," answered Harry. "I can't really say for sure. But it might be." Kentarre nodded. *Well, at least he was honest.*  
  
Kentarre stood. "Thank you, Potter. I have no more questions," she said to him, and then she turned towards the staircases and started to climb the girls' one, but then she heard Harry calling her. "Kentarre," he said, "how did my dream wake you up?" Kentarre gave him a piercing look, and Harry was suddenly reminded of Dumbledore. "It's the same reason as before, Potter," she answered, though to Harry it wasn't much of an answer. "I told you, I'm not who you think I am. Your dream woke me up because of what you dreamed. I sensed that, and I woke up. I really can't tell you any more than that. Now go to bed." With that, she finished her climb up the stairs, and did not stop again until she had closed the door to the dorm.  
  
Harry sighed and put his head in his hands. *That still didn't answer my question,* he thought, just slightly put out. *I wonder what Hermione and Ron will say. Well, I'll find out tomorrow.* He got up from the armchair and slowly padded across the common room, up the boys' staircase, and into the dormitory. The room was just as he had left it: dark and full of the sounds of breathing sleepers. Harry heard a snore or two coming from Neville's bunk, and Ron's had a hand sticking out from between his curtains. Harry put his glasses on his nightstand and got into bed, but he did not sleep for a very long time.  
  
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"Why didn't you wake me up?" accused Ron. The three friends sat in the empty common room that day while the other students were at breakfast. Kentarre had not been seen at all that morning; it was presumed that she had gotten up much earlier, and no one thought much of it. Harry replied, "Because you would have bitten my head off if I had, and don't say you wouldn't have, either!" Ron opened his mouth, and then, looking thoughtfully admitting, shut it again. Hermione shook her head. "That isn't what's important," she said, being right as usual. "What really irks me is that when Harry dreamed, Kentarre, who was in a completely different room, woke up. I don't know about you two, but that sounds to me like a clue to her real identity." Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, and then Harry said, "How exactly is that going to tell us who she really is?" Hermione informed him, "Simple. She must have some connection with You- Know-Who. That's the only solution, because that's what you were dreaming about, wasn't it?"  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged another glance, this one much darker. "You mean..." began Ron, but he never got to finish, because Hermione wasn't done yet. "I'm not saying anything for certain," she conceded, but Harry contradicted her. "But you just said that's the only solution," he said, just beginning to feel that they were going around in circles. Hermione said, "Well, it's the only solution that we've come across so far. We'd better keep our eyes and ears open, all right?" Ron started to say something back, but Harry gave him a look, because at that moment, Kentarre appeared from behind the portrait. "Good morning," said Hermione in a friendly-type voice. Kentarre gave her a look that said quite plainly well,-someone-got-up-on-the-right-side-of-the-bed-this-morning-and-it-sure- as-heck-wasn't-me. Hermione asked cheerily, "So, where'd you go?" Kentarre gave her another look, but this time it said leave-me-the-heck- alone-because-it's-none-of-your-business.  
  
Kentarre then turned her gaze to Harry. He was looking at her with an expression full of intent and question. "Don't forget, Potter," she reminded him darkly. "Tomorrow night." Harry nodded, but the inquiry in his eyes did not change.  
  
Classes that day seemed short for Kentarre, but that was only because she had her mind elsewhere. It must have showed, too, for Harry, sounding almost concerned, asked her in Herbology what was the matter. They were continuing their work with the Carkels, and Kentarre was letting the light leak out of her wand. She had been thinking very hard, and Harry had to speak very loudly to wake her up. Kentarre shook herself mentally and looked at her wand. Almost the entire length of it was glowing a lightning blue color, and Hermione was eyeing it suspiciously. Kentarre did some incredibly quick thinking and dimmed the light down to make it seem as if it was only gathering on the end of the wand, trying as hard as she could to make it seem as though she was not doing it on purpose. Harry asked, "Are you okay?" Kentarre, not wanting him to think about it too much, said, "I've just got a lot on my mind today. I'll be all right." That seemed to be enough, but for the rest of the day, Kentarre noticed that Harry kept trying not to look at her. *This is too obvious,* Kentarre scolded herself. *Get a grip on it, Kentarre.*  
  
Later, just before dinner, Kentarre announced that she would be coming with them to the Great Hall. Hermione looked at her dubiously. "You mean you're actually going to eat?" she asked doubtfully. Kentarre shook her head. "No, there are just a few things I want to keep an eye on," she replied, knowing full well that not a one of them knew what she meant by that. It wasn't any secret either; they all looked at each other and shrugged. Hermione, however, looked almost amused. "What are you going to keep an eye on, the food?" she asked, but Kentarre saw that her eyes already knew the answer to that. Kentarre said calmly, "No, actually, because it never goes anywhere, does it? Actually, I've just got some business to take care of before tomorrow, and I want to make sure everything's in place." Hermione raised one eyebrow slightly, but she didn't say anything more.  
  
When they were at dinner, Kentarre said no word to anyone, but merely stared about, keeping her eyes alert and her hands steady. Her gaze, though no one noticed, passed over Malfoy, then Dumbledore, then Jycein. There her eyes rested for a very long time, and though Jycein caught her eyes once, she did not falter, but kept staring intently, sending all kinds of messages with the intensity of her glare. Whether he read these messages or not, no one but she could tell, as they exchanged the few moments of silence. When he looked away, she took a deep intake of breath, long and slow, and let it out in the same manner. *Learst,* she thought. *Why are you doing this? I know that you are aware of the consequences, but do you truly know? I realize that we never exactly got along back home, but would you stoop this low just to get back at me, or is there another reason? I promise you, I will have these answers!* Kentarre's jaw tightened and her fists clenched. *Learst! I will have these answers!*  
  
After dinner, Kentarre walked out of the Great Hall and immediately headed up to the dormitory ahead of the crowd. She got to the common room ahead of everyone and went swiftly to her own corner in the shadows just to the right of the fireplace. Usually no one noticed her there, so it was the ideal place for eavesdropping, though she would never consciously call it that. She preferred to refer to it as gathering information.  
  
The other Gryffindors now began to wander into the common room after saying prolonged goodnights to the members of other houses. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were among the first, followed by the Weasley twins and their little sister Ginny, of whom Kentarre had not seen much of that year. They all filed in, patting their stomachs happily. Ron had a few curry remnants on his chin, which Harry brought to his attention. None of them, as yet, had noticed Kentarre.  
  
The group sat down in their customary chairs just to the left of the fire. They all groaned as they sat down, and Fred and George Weasley both reclined outrageously, nearly tipping their chairs backwards. "Oh, it feels like I haven't eaten like that in ages!" cried George. Fred said, "Mmm-hmm. Say, where's your friend Kentarre? She looked a trifle disturbed at dinner." Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances and shrugs. "We're not sure what that was about," said Harry. "She likes to keep to herself." Fred yawned. "Keeps to herself, does she? Maybe she's got something to hide," he suggested, giving George a look that could only mean more mischief. Ron harumphed and said, "You can try, but I sorta doubt she'll tell you anything." But the twins weren't listening. They merely looked at each other and then changed the subject. "So, what do you guys do when she's around? It must be kinda boring, talking to someone who doesn't talk back," said George. Harry and Ron looked at each other. If the harsh truth be told, it had been a rather pleasant change to Hermione's normal chattering. Fred asked, "Yeah, why are you friends with her anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"  
  
This question, strangely, had been the exact question that Harry had been about to ask himself. Harry replied, "Well, I suppose I talked to her at first because she was new, but then a number of things happened and I didn't think about it anymore. Now, I guess I don't really know why."  
  
Kentarre, hidden by the neighboring shadows, listened intently. This could be disastrous, as she herself knew, and she didn't want to ruin it for herself. She needed that boy's trust, and had gone to great lengths to gain his friendship. She would have approached him herself at the beginning of the year if he had not. Fred shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "but it sounds kind of fishy to me." George said quickly, "But that doesn't mean you have to listen to us. I mean, what would we know, right?" He looked at Fred, and they both got up. "See you," they said, and then they walked off to join a different group.  
  
Kentarre let out the breath she'd been holding. *Those two,* she thought, giving the redheads a dark glare. *They're going to get me into trouble.* She looked back at Harry and his friends, who had begun talking again. Hermione was saying, "You know what I heard Pansy saying yesterday in the Entrance Hall?" Harry and Ron both leaned in closer, and Hermione continued. "Well, she was saying something about Malfoy dumping her for someone else." Hermione looked very smug. Ron asked, "Well, did you hear who?" Hermione said, "I sure did. She said that Malfoy had-" The brunette stopped to lean in closer and whisper, "That Malfoy had dumped her for Kentarre." Harry's eyebrows shot upwards, and Ron looked shocked. Hermione's face was annoyingly satisfied. "That's right," she said, "Kentarre."  
  
Harry now looked confused. "But... why would Kentarre go steady with Malfoy? She can't stand him!" he puzzled. Ron shrugged. "Who knows why Kentarre does anything?" he pointed out. However, all three of them did agree that this was highly out of the ordinary.  
  
Meanwhile, Kentarre, still concealed behind the mantle, had slacked in her attention to their conversation. *Why can't they talk about something more interesting? It won't last very long now, anyway. I only wanted to show him that I was unpredictable, that's all. It's no cosmic event.* And then she noticed that the conversation had taken yet another turn. Harry was saying, "Have you two heard anything more on the-" he lowered his voice "girl we saw?" Ron shook his head. "Nope, nothing," he said. Hermione said, "I've been trying, but so far I've come up with a blank." Harry said, "I haven't heard anything either, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled."  
  
Kentarre stepped out from behind the mantle. Hermione, who was sitting opposite her, looked up immediately, her expression suspicious. "Hello, Kentarre," she said very loudly, giving the other two looks. They both turned around. "How long have you been standing there?" Harry wanted to know. Kentarre, still standing somewhat in the shadows, said, "That's not important. The last part I heard was about me and Malfoy." Harry looked dubious, but he said, "Oh, okay. Speaking of which, what's going on about that? Why'd you decide to go with Malfoy?" Kentarre asked suggestively, "Jealous, are you, Potter?"  
  
Harry looked at her through his bangs. "No, I'm not," he said flatly, glaring at the others to stop them from laughing. Kentarre smirked. "Well then that's not important either, is it?" Ron snorted, and Harry gave him another scalding glare. Kentarre's smirk remained as she started for the dormitory door. "Goodnight," she murmured quickly to the trio by the fire, and then she disappeared up the girls' steps.  
  
The mood quickly sombered. "Do you think she heard the very last bit?" asked Hermione worriedly. "Nah," said Ron, but even he looked uneasy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday dawned, and the castle greeted a bright blue sky artfully strewn with fluffy, wispy clouds. Kentarre was up with the sun, and when the others got up, they found her gone. She came downstairs to an empty common room, which was to be expected at that hour, and went out, taking a shortcut to the front door. The unusually pale girl threw open the front doors and took a deep breath of the crisp, morning air. Snow lay all around, and Kentarre admired its cool whiteness. A few drifts had grown tall enough to catch the first morning rays, and they glittered at the peaks like diamond- capped hills. Kentarre took in the spectacle, enjoying the brief silence that she was allowed only at the beginning and end of each day.  
  
Kentarre slowly descended the cold stone steps and kept going straight over the snow-smothered ground. *What am I going to do? What if I have to... and Potter... what if he... oh, gosh, what am I going to do if he sees? What in the name of all that is holy am I going to do?* Her troubled thoughts followed her to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. *Why am I so attracted to this place?* she wondered as she realized where she was. *What is it about these trees that draws me so? I wonder...* Kentarre put her left hand on the bark of the nearest tree, and was met with a slow, swelling pulse. She could feel it resounding through the tree's bark, and she knew what that pulse was; it was the tree's own life flowing through every fiber, down to the tip of the roots and up to the highest leaf. She also felt something else in the pulse- this forest has a life and mind of its own. Kentarre pulled her hand away from the trunk and turned away from the forest, almost deciding to go back to the castle. She stopped. *There's still a good while before the others have to be up.* Kentarre looked up at the castle. *Yes... they're all still asleep.* She turned to her right and began walking at a swifter pace. When she reached the center of the lawn, the place right next to the lake that had a few trees growing that were not part of the forest, she stopped and looked around. *Yes. I think this will provide enough cover, even if someone is up and watching.*  
  
If anyone had been up so early in the morning and just happened to be looking out the window, here's what they would've seen: Kentarre disappeared into a grove of trees by the lake and a flash of blue light came from the spot where she had gone in. Suddenly, a great wind struck up from nowhere, and something with a blue trail shot directly into the sky from the center of the trees. The trail dissipated, and then the thing, or whatever it was, was gone.  
  
Kentarre had indeed gone; she was now soaring above the castle roof, feeling the air passing around her, ruffling her clothes and hair and rushing by her pointed ears. She experienced that same exhileration that always accompanied flight. Her long white hair blew out behind her, and her bare feet enjoyed the freedom. Kentarre ignored all that her mind told her, forgot all the memories that she only faintly remembered, dismissed all that did not include this moment. She dove, spun, twirled, and allowed herself to be carried away by the sweet, cold wind.  
  
But she could not, no matter how hard she tried, forget all that she had set out to do. She simply could not block out the memory of who she was and why she was here and whom she must protect with her life, her very soul even. Kentarre pulled up out of a deep, swooping dive and found herself facing the castle. She was now some distance away from it. She turned and saw the sunrise, bright and beautiful, the sun halfway risen. Kentarre found herself in the middle of an unbidden choice. She whirled about, looking from the sunrise to Hogwarts and back again. She suddenly heard some voice, from somewhere, calling her name, and she knew that voice. The tone of it was sharp and scolding and painfully reminding her of her duty. *Kentarre,* it said, *you cannot simply forget this. You must finish it. I am depending on you.*  
  
The suspended girl knew then what her choice would be. She immediately about-faced, and flew off in the direction of the castle, where somebody important to her was just waking up. 


	10. Last Straw

Chapter 10: Last Straw  
  
  
  
  
Harry was looking nervous. Hermione must have asked him five times if he was all right, to which he answered, "Sure, I'm fine," but Kentarre knew better. She smiled at him, the first genuine smile that he had gotten from her all year. "Potter," she informed him, "you worry too much."   
"I do not!" he protested, but his eyes didn't quite meet Kentarre's.  
The four of them were standing and talking in the Entrance Hall during break later that day. The other students were milling around; well, except for Fred and George, who were, as usual, the noisy center of attention. If Kentarre heard correctly, they were taking orders for their trick merchandise. Kentarre herself had bought something from them earlier this week; she had something special planned for the trick wand she had bought. She had been tinkering with it, and finally it was ready.   
Just then, the bell rang to get back to class. Kentarre and the others headed outside to their next class: Care of Magical Creatures. Malfoy and the other Slytherins were already there when they arrived, chatting loudly as usual. When Malfoy saw Kentarre, his eyes flashed, and he pushed apart Crabbe and Goyle to swagger up. "So, Potter," he crowed, "you heard about me and Kentarre? Yeah, sorry, old boy, but it seems you're too late again." Harry scowled at him, but Kentarre was ready. "Yeah, about that, Malfoy," she said, coming up and putting her arm around his shoulders. As a result, he smirked and gave her an expectant look. She smirked back and went on, "I think you'll find all you need from me in here." With that, she handed him a wand- or, what appeared to be a wand. Malfoy took it, and a few seconds later there was a BANG, and the wand was no longer a wand. Instead, it was a piece of parchment with writing on it. Malfoy read the writing and scowled. He glared at Kentarre. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked heatedly. Kentarre said, "Nope. I mean it." Malfoy's scowl turned into a scrunched up face of complete fury. He crumpled up the parchment, threw it on the ground at Kentarre's feet, and stormed away. Harry picked it up and read it softly to the others. "Dear Draco, I don't feel that this is working out and I think we should stop seeing each other. Signed, Kentarre. P.S. I don't want someone getting hurt. I hope I didn't offend you." Harry chuckled appreciatively. "Why'd you do that?" he asked Kentarre. "Poor kid," she murmured loud enough for the others to hear. "He didn't really deserve that. But he was getting kinda boring. I was only letting him indulge himself for a while, and then I decided I didn't like it. That's all there is to it."  
Hermione looked thoughtful, then she also began to laugh. "So the joke was on him?" she asked gleefully. Kentarre nodded, and Hermione finished laughing. "I love it when that happens," said Hermione. Ron chuckled appreciatively. "Yeah, like the time that Malfoy got detention with you two in our first year!" he said, and Harry and Hermione gave him suddenly dirty looks. "What?" he asked, and Hermione replied, "You didn't get detention, remember? You were too busy healing from the place where Norbert bit you." Ron scratched his head. "Oh, yeah..."  
Kentarre wondered to herself, *Who's Norbert?*, but she didn't ask, deciding she didn't really want to know.   
Just then, Hagrid came out of his hut. He was carrying a large barrel in his enormous hands, and an awful smell came from it. Everyone who was near pulled their robe collars over their noses to muffle the smell, and Hagrid looked puzzled. "'Ere, now, it's not that bad," he said. "What is that?" asked a Slytherin girl. Hagrid pushed the open barrel towards the students, who backed away, and said, "Tha's pickled snake's tails. There's a secret teh these lil' pieces, an' I'm 'bout teh show yer." Hagrid walked over to the pen where the wraiths were being kept. Just then, the wraiths were rather cute; they were now disguised as chicks that looked as though they were only a few days old. Hagrid dug out a handful of the tails- which, for anyone else, would've been enough for three handfuls- and threw them in the pen. Immediately, the chicks went for them, keeping their guise as they tore at the foul-smelling snack. The class looked on as the wraiths began to change back into their original, scaly form, but this time it was different. The wraiths, even as they ate, were squealing and shrieking in what was, unmistakably, agony. One of them lashed out with its teeth at the students, who all jumped back in alarm. Hagrid, however, seemed to think it normal. In fact, he was beaming. "See there?" he boomed at them. "Th' snake's tails made 'em turn back inta their orig'nal form. That effect won' wear off fer another couple o' hours. That's an old trick that isn' in yer book. I had teh look pretty far fer that piece of information, but I finally found a farmer who'd found a method teh eradicatin' wraiths. He said teh feed 'em pickled snake's tails and then run 'em out yer own way. Said it'd turn 'em back fer a good while, dependin' on how long yeh pickled 'em and what kind o' snakes yeh used."  
Harry looked disgusted and completely uninterested, but nonetheless he said, "So, Hagrid, what kind of snakes did you use?" Hagrid said with his eyes still watching the wraiths, who were now writhing with fury but making no more wrenching noises, "I used a mix of a few kinds, mos'ly non-poisonous, 'cause he said those were the best. I used mos'ly coral, but there's a few garden snakes and some blue racers." When Hagrid said "non-poisonous", several people visibly relaxed a little, Ron being one of them.   
When class was over, Ron said, "Well, I think Hagrid's definitely improved in his lesson plans. He's going now for the moderate yet interesting instead of the terrifying and lethal." Hermione gave him a scolding look and said, "He tries his best, but Malfoy's not making it any easier for him. We should go see him this weekend." The other boys nodded, and Ron glanced at Kentarre. "You'll come with us?" he asked her. Kentarre, however, wasn't listening. She was staring at the forest and walking rather slower than the rest of them. "Kentarre!" Harry called, but she was gradually slowing and not paying any attention to them. Her face was turned away from them, staring towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry stopped and went back to where she was standing, saying, "Kentarre! What's wrong?" She did not look at him, but put her hand to his chest to stop him, then put one finger in front of his face to tell him to be quiet. Harry followed her eyes and saw nothing but the shadows of the forest. He looked back at the girl next to him and saw that her eyes were narrowed, searching. "What is it?" he mumbled after a pause.   
Kentarre then seemed to make some kind of decision, because she did not answer him but began walking very swiftly back to the castle. *Something made it come back,* she thought darkly, *and I bet I know what it was.*  
Back in the castle later that evening, Kentarre sat in the common room, brooding. She knew that she would have some time to think if she went directly up here, because no one was here due to the fact that dinner was being served. Kentarre enjoyed the few moments of peace, and used them to get some real thinking done.  
*All of these events are leading up to something, and I have not been able to nail it down yet. Why? What is so obvious that I'm not seeing it? All right, calm down, Kentarre. Think; what is it that he's hoping to accomplish here?* She pondered this self-imposed question for a moment, and suddenly the pieces clicked. Perhaps it was some special magic in the moonlight, but somehow, tonight she was able to piece it all together. She didn't know why she had not been able to do so before, but tonight was somehow a turning point in her campaign.   
Kentarre rose from her seat and went to the portrait hole. She exited silently and closed it shut behind her with such precision that the Fat Lady looked at her suspiciously and said, "What are you up to, young lady?" Kentarre ignored her and began walking down the hall. The woman in pink called after her, "Hey! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you! How rude!"  
The hallways were dark and unpopulated. Kentarre loved this time, because dinner was not required, merely offered. While everyone ate, she had free rein to go where she pleased unhindered. However, now she was on a mission.  
She spotted Harry in the Great Hall in his usual dinner seat. Next to him, of course, were Hermione and Ron. Neville, Dean, and Seamus also shared dinnertime with the trio.  
Kentarre walked up to them, attracting a few glances from fellow classmates, which she ignored. She bent over to whisper in Harry's ear, "It's time. We have to go." Harry looked at her questioningly, but she hissed at him, "Yes, now! I'm sure that he's already waiting."  
Harry muttered an explanation to Ron, who was on his right, and then Ron passed this on to Hermione, who was on his other side. Kentarre held back after Harry got up; her wand slipped out of her robe's breast pocket- whether it was on purpose or accidental, Harry couldn't tell- and she bent over to pick it up. She muttered something inaudible to the other two and seemed to slip them both something from inside her sleeve. When she straightened, she nodded at both of them, who nodded back.  
Kentarre then swept out of the Great Hall with Harry at her tail. Harry asked her, "What was that about?" Kentarre handed him something small and black, instructing him, "Clip this to your ear." He looked at it and saw that it was a small device that looked like an earphone that Muggle children used for their Walkmans, except this had no cord attached. Harry asked, "What's this?"   
"It's a communicator. I gave Ron and Hermione one each for safety precautions, though I doubt we'll need them."  
"Why is that?"  
"Because I know how to handle what we're coming up against."  
"I thought you said you didn't know what we were fighting."  
"Don't make this any more complicated that it already is, Potter. Just follow my lead and my instructions, and you will come out all right."  
Under normal circumstances, Harry would have protested, but the imperiousness in her voice stopped him. He had never heard her speak like that; most of the time her voice was soft and dark and, at times, menacing, but now she seemed almost like a general in charge of an army: all business.  
Kentarre led Harry down the corridors to the Gryffindor portrait hole. "What are we here for?" he asked her as she gave the password. The painting swung open, and Kentarre told him, "I have to get something. Potter, go and get your broom and meet me back in the common room."   
Harry did as he was told, while Kentarre disappeared up the girls' stairs. She came down holding a package that was long and thin and looked suspiciously like the package that Harry had received through owl mail during his first year. Indeed, it was the same kind of package: a flying broom. It was a model Nimbus Two Thousand and One, and it looked as though it had been used, though the package had been wrapped tightly. Harry asked her as the pieces clicked in his mind, "You got that from the pawn shop, did you?" Without looking at him, she nodded. She discarded the wrapping and held the broom in her left hand, and Harry took his up as well. "Let's go," she said, the finality in her voice giving him a chill.   
She led him out of the portrait hall, down several corridors and up countless flights of stairs. When they finally reached the South Tower, which was, under normal circumstances, restricted to teachers only, Kentarre disregarded all signs that said they were not supposed to be here and climbed the final set of stairs. Harry hesitated for a split-second, setting himself. Kentarre continued on, and Harry, not wanting to keep her waiting or get left behind, advanced.  
They reached the final chamber at the top of the tower, and Kentarre allowed Harry to catch his breath. "So... what... do we do.. now?" he panted. Kentarre turned to the window. "We wait," she said. "He's not here yet, which gives us the advantage." Harry asked, "How do you know he's not here? He could be hiding." She gave him a withering look, which silenced his inquiry.  
And so they waited. There was not much light in the room, save for the trickle of pale moonlight that seeped in through the lone window. Harry could not tell how long they waited, but it seemed as though they stood there, motionless, for an eternity. Cold air permeated the room, making Harry begin to shiver. His warm breath made little puffs in front of his face.  
Suddenly, Kentarre stiffened, and Harry heard a noise coming from outside the window. Kentarre flattened herself against the wall, and Harry backed out of the light. Harry could not see much, but he did see Kentarre bare her teeth and hear her sharp intake of breath. Noiselessly, she braced herself on the windowsill and seemingly flowed out over it, her black cloak blowing out behind her with a rushing sound. She whispered, "Follow me," on her way, and Harry, though more clumsily, followed.   
Under the window was a small drop, and Harry landed with a muffled thunk, barely keeping his balance. Snow completely smothered the roof, outlining every slope and curve and dip. Kentarre was there, and she held her hand, palm facing him, out, but whether it was to silence him or tell him to stay still or both, he could not guess.   
Just then he noticed the shadow at some obscure corner of the roof, off to the left a ways, watching them. Kentarre's eyes were locked on this dark figure; her eyes were narrowed and mistrusting, and though Harry could not see them well, he thought he saw a glint of anticipation. However, he told himself, this could be due to any number of things, like the light or the angle from which he saw them. Her hand remained extended slightly behind her, and she took a few steps forward and to the right, waiting.  
The figure straightened from his low vantage point on the sloping roof and stood, dark and defiant, facing Kentarre. "Well, well, well," said the figure in a voice that Harry knew he recognized, "Kentarre. I must say, I knew you would come, but I didn't think you'd bring a guest." Kentarre's resonant voice answered him, "Well, you know me, always full of surprises."   
The man chuckled. "That you are, Kentarre, that you are. However, you'll find that I have a few surprises of my own. Ah, there's one of them right now."   
Harry felt a chill that seemed not to be due from the freezing conditions, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He instantly felt as though he was being watched, but when he turned, he saw nothing but the wall of the tower. His eyes traveled all about the roof, but he saw no one that was not supposed to be there.   
Kentarre's voice was confident. "Believe it or not, I thought of that. I knew you'd bring your little shadow along- that's what they're for, are they not? However, your little stooge does not intimidate me. And I think you know full well that I'm not afraid of you, so why don't we just get on with this?"  
Another chuckle came from the dark figure, and the man said in a voice edged in spite, "Yes, the Kelohr does not frighten so easily, does she? Well, that's not all I've got up my sleeve."  
Suddenly, Harry felt not one, but several pairs of eyes on him. Once again, he scanned the surroundings, but he could find no eyes to match that haunting feeling of being watched. Meanwhile, Kentarre visibly tensed. "Potter," she muttered over her shoulder, "keep on your guard. It looks like we're in for a rough night." Harry nodded, and then, because he wanted to say something and could not think of anything else to say, he whispered, "Good luck."   
Kentarre smiled a wry smile. "Right."  
The dark figure said, "Well, Kentarre, it appears our time for reunion is up. Now you die." Kentarre smirked. "We'll just see who has the last laugh, Learst!" At this last, the man seemed to get angry. "Very good, Kentarre," he growled, "but just because you've figured out who I am doesn't mean you can beat me."   
"On the contrary, it does. I know you don't have the power to beat me."  
"Ah, but do you dare show your true powers in front of one so young?"  
Kentarre's eyes widened in shock, and then she began to swear under her breath. Harry looked at her with question in his eyes, but she did not look at him. Instead, she clenched her teeth and said, "Learst! You will pay for this!"  
At that, the man Learst laughed, making Kentarre's eyes narrow. "No, Kentarre," he said, "this time it will be me taking the revenge." The man threw off his black cloak, and Harry saw in the dim, frosty moonlight that he was wearing a kind of battle outfit. Kentarre stuck her left hand under her robe and felt the blue glow. *I'm glad this cloak is so thick,* she thought gratefully.   
Just then, while Kentarre was warming up, she heard a long, slow ring, as of steel. She looked up sharply and saw the man pulling out a long, shimmering broadsword. The ring seemed to echo in the cold, clear air, and Kentarre saw Harry jump backwards against the tower wall.   
Kentarre's face registered surprise, then confidence again. "Well," she said, "I didn't know it was going to be like that." Then she pulled her left hand out, careful to keep it still hidden by a fold of her cloak. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Harry trying not to appear as if he was straining to see, and she couldn't help but smile. Meanwhile, she was gathering her magic. Kentarre whispered a single word, and there was a faint flash of lightning blue light. In her hand, she now held an exquisitely designed two-handed broadsword. Wordlessly, she pushed it out in front of her at a slant across her torso, and Harry could now see, in the silvery moonlight, that there was a shimmering, polished red stone, about the size of a robin's egg, set in the hilt. The hilt's guard was made of silver and carved in the likeness of an eagle, with its head curving gracefully over the top of the flawless blade. Harry had never seen anything like it before, so cruelly beautiful, and it quite took his breath away.   
The man in black charged Kentarre, and there was a loud clang as the two swords made their first meeting. The two of them pulled apart, and then came again, this time making swipe after parry after feint. Harry stood, motionless in the snow, watching the exchange with astonishment. *Where did Kentarre learn to swordfight like that?* he wondered to himself as the spectacular battle continued. *The only instruction like that that somebody my age could get is fencing instruction, but this is not fencing; this is swordplay.* Harry did not know much about this subject, but he knew enough from the movies that Dudley watched to know that the two were quite different. *Boy, would Ron like to see this...*   
Just then, the man made a fantastic leap into the air, and Kentarre leapt up to meet him. Harry did not realize it for several seconds, but when he finally noticed, it made him wonder. *Nobody can jump that high... wait a minute!* For indeed, both Kentarre and the man were riding on broomsticks, still swinging at each other in midair. They would collide, and fall backwards, then speed towards each other, collide, and fall back again, each time attacking at a different angle. For a moment, Harry felt the impulse to whoop out loud, but that seemed somehow out of place.   
Without warning, the swords scraped together with an earsplitting screech, and sparks from the two edges rained down. Harry impulsively lifted up his hand to shield his face, but he felt nothing. Upon lowering his hand a few seconds later, he saw that the man called Learst was floating alone in the air, pivoting in one spot, trying to see where Kentarre had gone. Harry likewise searched the sky, but Kentarre had indeed disappeared.  
Just then, Harry saw out of the corner of his eye a bright blue flash. When he looked, the flash had gone, but in its place came shooting, like a comet in a night sky, something that had a trail of a similar color. It sped straight towards the suspended man, and when it arrived, Harry saw that it was the girl in blue. He looked closer, and he saw that she was carrying a sword just like the one Kentarre had just been using. Harry's eyes widened, watching the girl's every move. He tried to look even closer, just to be sure that it was the same sword, and he caught a flash of red out of the midst of the tangle. It was the same sword. She was using the same sword.   
The feeling of being watched intensified, and Harry wrenched his eyes from the struggling couple to look around, to see what was watching him. He saw nothing, and was about to go back to watching the fight when a hissing voice spoke from somewhere behind his right ear, saying, "It's very interesting, isn't it?" Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around-- but saw nothing. "Who's there?" he asked nervously, and the same voice replied from the same position, "You mean Kentarre didn't tell you about me? My, my, my. Well, there's nothing that she could've told you that would help you now; you're mine." Harry continued to search, trying to find an explanation for the voice that seemed so close. The voice laughed a coarse, rasping laugh that was completely devoid of mirth. Harry thought he could see a dark flicker in the corner of his eye, but when he tried to see it, it disappeared and the reappeared again to dance mockingly at the edge of his vision once more. "Who are you?" he asked, beginning to feel more than a little worried. The words "you're mine" echoed back at him in a tiny little whisper that repeated itself over and over again.   
Suddenly, something solid hit him from behind, throwing him facefirst into the snow. He hit on his hands and knees, a shocking chill running through him. Harry scrambled to his feet, trying to brush himself off while still searching for the unseen source of the voice that seemed so close. He pulled his wand out, brandishing it in front of him. *Okay, now,* he thought, *What would Hermione do? What would Ron do?* Harry stood, his feet apart, his wand ready, waiting.   
Without any sort of warning, a fierce wind struck up, seemingly, out of nowhere. However, Harry was almost certain that it was this unseen opponent that was causing the wind. It was strong, and Harry was forced a few steps backward before he caught his balance against it. It bit at him, blowing his robes back and whipping his hair into a frenzied resistance. He couldn't let it beat him, for he would go flying towards the wall again.   
The wind, for some strange reason, stopped then, quite abruptly, and Harry, who had been pushing against it, went flying forward, attempting to regain his balance. Then he was rushed by another invisible wall, and the collision was so hard and head-on that it sent him right back to the wall, where he hit his head and blacked out.  
When he woke up, however, he suspected that he had not been out for long, because the sound of swords clashing was still going on. *How can they go at it for that long?* he asked himself, but his head hurt too much to allow much room for thinking.   
He opened his eyes, and he realized that the voice that had tormented him was gone. He was lying on his back on the snowy rooftop of Hogwarts. Harry sat up and shook himself, preparing to get up. He never got to that part, however, because at that time, there was a pause in the battle noise, and a swooshing noise followed the brief pause. He looked up and saw that both of the fighters had gone. Then he saw them; they were flying at great speeds, and the girl in blue was chasing the man in black. It was too fast and too far away to see anything, but Harry attempted it anyway, determined not to miss anything.   
The two of them dived and swooped, dodged each other and used all manner of evasive maneuvers to get away from each other. The blue trail that was the mysterious girl suddenly got brighter, and she shot a beam of blue light at the man. He barely dodged it and then turned around in midair. They had stopped almost on the other side of the tower, and Harry moved to see. There they floated, staring at each other. The man had resheathed his sword, and he now held out a wand. "So, Zorensei," he said breathlessly, "it comes down to this."  
"You fight well, Learst," she replied in a voice that was deep and resonant and vaguely familiar. "However, I doubt that will be enough to save you now. I have no restrictions; there is nothing to stop me from killing you."  
Learst laughed. "Nothing, Zorensei?" There was a pause, and Harry felt something very strong grab his wrists and slam them against the stone tower wall. His feet at the ankles were similarly handled, and Harry had to bite his lip to keep from crying out in surprise. He saw the girl above look down at him, shock on her face. She began to swear, and Learst laughed. "You never thought that your own witness could be used against you. Well, I have every intention of making him watch your demise."  
"I'm not finished with you, Learst! I'm very well aware that your little tricks are going to save your neck, but that doesn't mean I'm finished! You may survive this night, but I promise to make it the most miserable one you've ever had. It's time to finish this, Learst!" With that, she held her hands out in front of her and yelled, a long, loud yell that pierced the very night. Her hands began to glow blue, and the light grew and grew and grew. It seemed, to Harry, that time had slowed down, and everything that he saw happening was in slow motion. The blue light from her hands, once it had reached its maximum strength, spread outwards from her hands and separated into separate strands that acted like a web or a net, closing themselves about Learst. The girl, as if she held the lead ropes, pulled the blue light towards her, and Learst, inside the 'net', was forced towards her. Finally they were close enough to touch each other, and the blue girl put her hand into the web and grabbed the front of Learst's shirt, pulling him to her. She muttered something in his ear, something Harry couldn't hear, and then she let him go.   
The net grew brighter, and the girl allowed it to float away from her, and then abruptly pulled it back, winding up and then throwing it out towards the Forbidden Forest. The net of blue sailed away over the trees and then sank among them, pulling its trapped prisoner with it. The girl watched it go, and then she turned to Harry. "You'd better let him go," she said loudly, and Harry realized that she was not talking to him. The thing that was holding him hostage hissed and cursed at her, but finally it loosened its death grip on Harry's limbs, allowing him to break free. The thing cursed again at the suspended girl, and then it was gone. The girl glanced once more in the direction that she had thrown Learst, and Harry looked up at her in wonder. *Who is she?* he wondered.   
He massaged his wrists absent-mindedly, and then, on a whim, he called up to her, "Why don't you come down?" She shrugged. "My night's not over yet, Potter. I didn't throw him as far as I should have, and that net will only last for a few more hours. He'll be back at school tomorrow, but I want you to be careful, all right? Not everyone is as trustworthy as they look."  
He faintly wondered what she could mean by that, but he didn't have time to ask, because at that time she flew off in another direction, leaving him to his confused thoughts and numbed fingers.   
Harry went back in through the tower window and thought, *Oh no! I bet everybody's already gone to bed, and I don't have my cloak! This is really bad.* He poked his head out of the tower and listened hard for movement from the bottom of the stairs. Hearing nothing, he crept down, attempting to keep his robes from making noise. When he got to the bottom, he checked around, waiting for someone to come down the hall. He slunk quietly down the correct hallway, stopping periodically to listen for patrollers in the corridors. He came to an intersection and ducked around a corner because he heard a simpering voice say, "Did you catch a scent, my sweet? We'll find them, we will." Harry knew that voice in an instant; it was Filch, and Ms. Norris was with him. It looked as though he'd have to make a run for it, and he didn't want to wait around for them to catch up with him. Harry took off down the hall that he had hidden in, hoping to run fast enough to get a good head start. This turned out to be a bad idea, however, when he nearly bumped into Professor McGonagall, who had her back turned to him.   
He quickly doubled back and hid behind a tapestry, praying that she hadn't heard him. She had.  
"Who's there?" she called sharply. "Come out this instant." Harry held his breath and remained absolutely still. If she caught him, he would have a whole week's worth of detention. She poked around in the area where he had been, coming within feet of where Harry was now pretending to be part of the scenery. The professor, after a thorough search of everywhere that Harry was not, to Harry's relief and gratitude, moved off, muttering about someone who couldn't have gone far. When her footsteps had faded, he waited to make absolutely certain that no one else was out there, waiting for him to come around the corner. When he was satisfied, he emerged and went on, pleading with whatever unseen being was listening that around every next corner was not Professor Snape.   
Finally, with several other encounters with the prowlers of the hall but no sightings, he made the long journey back to the Gryffindor common room. When the portrait hole closed behind him, Harry felt as though he could sing, but he caught himself just in time. In two armchairs in the middle of the room, Ron and Hermione, who had apparently tried to stay up to wait for him, slept with their heads on their shoulders. The fire had been reduced to fading cinders, and the room was almost completely dark, except for the silvery light that came from the waxing moon outside the window.   
He moved towards the window, not wanting to wake his friends up just yet, and he noted that the moon was less than a week from the full. It was large and oval, and the pale light it shed saturated everything; he found that even the snow looked whiter under its gaze. He opened the window, and received a shocking bout of goose pimples as the crisp, early-December air touched his face.   
Suddenly, from somewhere out in the snow, he heard a soft, sweet, singing voice. It was female, and it was among the most beautiful he had ever heard. Something down in the lawn caught his eye, and he looked closer, seeing that it was the girl in light blue, the one Learst had called Zorensei. She was standing feet apart in the snow beside a leafless tree, looking up at the moon and singing in a voice that somehow carried all the way up to the Gryffindor tower window, where Harry now stood. Harry heard a stirring from behind him, but he ignored it. He attempted to catch the words of the song, and suddenly they became clearer to him.  
In the moonlight I felt your heart  
Quiver like a bowstring's pulse,  
In the moon's fair light you looked at me.  
Nobody knows your heart.  
When the sun has gone I see you,  
Beautiful and haunting, but cold,  
Like the blade of a knife, so sharp and so sweet.  
Nobody knows your heart.  
Hole of your sorrow, grief and pain,  
Locked away in the forest of the night.  
Your secret heart belongs to the world  
Of the things that sigh in the dark,  
Ah, the things that cry in the dark.  
The song ended, and Harry stared at the girl so far below. She leapt up into the tree and sat with one leg propped on the branch and the other dangling down. There she sat, and Harry watched her, wondering what she would do. After a few minutes, she stood on the branch and lifted completely off of it, floating down to the ground to land softly on the fluffy snow. Then she walked slowly until she came to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There she disappeared into the shade of the trees, and he saw no more of her.  
"Who's that, Harry?" asked a voice from behind him, making him jump. Hermione had awoken and walked up without his noticing. He said, "Wake up Ron. He should hear this too."  
When Ron was fully awake (this took some doing), Harry proceeded to tell them all about his night on the rooftop of the school, and they listened with interest. Hermione asked him once, "Did you recognize Learst?" Harry told her, "I couldn't see his face. When he was down on the roof, it was all shadowy, and when he was in the air, he was moving too fast or he was too far away. Something told me he did it on purpose so I wouldn't recognize him."  
"So you think it was someone you know?" she asked, and Harry thought about this. "I don't know anyone named Learst, but that name could be made up-- or the one I know him by could be. Though I can't think of who he could be." After a pause, Harry went on in explaining the night's events in as much detail as he could. Ron was most intrigued by the creature that knocked Harry out for a while but that he couldn't see. "It's not healthy knowing something like that's about," he said with a shudder.  
When Harry came to the end of his story, about seeing her just now down in the snow, Hermione said, "Oh, so that's who that was. That was her?" Harry nodded, unable to say anything. He knew that, somehow, the girl Zorensei was familiar just as the man Learst was, but he couldn't match a name to either of them. He went through the names of everyone he knew at school, and two names caught his attention. At first, it seemed impossible, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it began to make. His face must have betrayed the deep thinking he was doing, because Ron said, "What's up, Harry?"   
Harry ran his ideas past his two friends, and they took them and ran them over in their minds. "Of course!" exclaimed Hermione in a whisper. "This all makes sense! Harry, you're a genius!" Harry shrugged. "It seemed like our last hope. I don't like it, but..."  
Ron was scratching his head. "But... if she... and what about..." he began to say, but Harry interrupted him. "Hermione!" he cried, coming to a sudden conclusion, "there's one way to be sure. Go up and check if Kentarre is in her bed." She looked at him briefly, and then seemed to come to the same conclusion. She nodded and wordlessly half ran up the girls' staircase.  
The two boys waited silently for five, six, seven minutes. "What's taking her?" Ron said finally. "All she has to do is sneak in and pull open the drapes just a bit to see if she's in there." Harry said, "Wait... here she comes." For indeed, there were footsteps coming down the stairs that Hermione had gone up-- but there seemed to be more than one pair of feet.   
Hermione emerged first, and behind her came Kentarre. Harry and Ron exchanged surprised glances with each other, and then Kentarre said, "So I hear you're having some doubts about me, Potter?" Harry risked a quick glance at Hermione, who gave a helpless shrug. Then he said, "So you heard."   
"Well, Potter, it's like I said; I'm not who you think I am and I never was. However, the person that you think I am may have changed since I told you that. Is that true?"  
Harry nodded. "Where did you go during the battle?"  
Kentarre's lips curled into a small, mysterious smile. "Wouldn't you like to know? Well, you'll know soon enough, although I daresay by now you've already figured it out. Time will tell, Potter, time will tell."  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the song written above, I simply used it because I'm the fanfiction author and I like it. It's actually the English version of the theme song for the anime movie Mononoke-Hime, also known as Princess Mononoke. So if you recognize it, good for you- if you don't, now I'm telling you what it is, so go watch that movie! It's excellent. ;-) 


	11. Mastered

Chapter 11: Mastered  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kentarre suddenly put her hand to her forehead. Hermione glanced at her worriedly, holding her hands out to help her, but Kentarre pushed the help aside, making her way towards the window. When she got there, she froze, and then moved her hand slowly away from her face, her eyes wide in shock. None of the others would ever know what she saw, but she whispered to herself in a strange language that none of them could place. Then she began to swear in English, and her voice rose just a little.   
Harry opened his mouth to ask what all that was about, but Kentarre would hear none of it. She strode away towards the portrait hole, and then was gone. Ron's eyebrows were raised. "What the dickens was that all about?"  
Harry got up and went to the window. He saw nothing unusual, but he wondered where it was that Kentarre meant to go. Hermione and Ron were right behind him, and Ron said, "Something's really going on now... and I have a feeling it's right under our noses and we don't know anything about it. I say it's time to do some snooping."  
"I'll get the cloak," said Harry, as if that were final, but he felt a hand on his arm. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked Hermione. "We don't know what she can do if she catches us." Harry gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I think I know what she's hiding, and she won't do anything because she thinks we don't know." Hermione smiled back. "Harry, I don't know when I've ever been more proud of you!" she exclaimed, and Harry blushed.   
"Well, come on, Harry," said Ron, who was on his way up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Harry quickly caught up with him, and the two of them were back down with the cloak in minutes.  
The halls of Hogwarts were darker than usual because the torches were burnt down to embers. Harry had never been out of bed this late--Ron's watch told him that it was 3:06 A.M. However, he felt that he couldn't have slept if he had wanted to; knowing that Kentarre was out doing something he knew nothing about would be enough to keep even Ron awake. Meanwhile, next to him, Ron yawned. Hermione, who was in the middle, dug into him with her elbow, staring ahead. Harry followed her eyes and found Peeves, who was floating about twenty or thirty paces ahead of them, cackling and making pictures on the wall with chalky erasers. As they got closer, he stopped in midair, his feet about two feet off the ground. He sniffed ceremoniously at the air and said loudly, "I smell a stinker, I do. Stinkers sneaking up on Peeves, they are. Should tell Filch if students out of bed."  
All three of them stopped. Hermione pulled out her wand and whispered, "Okay, we'll go around that corner up ahead." Then she pointed her wand under the cloak towards something on the other side of Peeves. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she hissed, and Harry saw a stack of books on a chair at the end of the hall waver in the air. Then Hermione lowered her wand, and the books dropped to the ground. Peeves turned his head gleefully to where the sound had come from, and Hermione whispered, "Now!" They all ran as quietly as they could towards the corner and pulled around it, keeping the cloak tight around them. When they made it to the next corner, they ducked to one side of the hall just to one side of a suit of armor to see if Peeves had heard them go by. They all tried to catch their breath while listening for Peeves at the same time, which proved to be a harder task than they had expected, because they had run for so long. However, after a few minutes, they heard and saw nothing and no one, so they readjusted the Invisibility Cloak and went on.   
Soon, albeit not soon enough for the three of them, they reached the Entrance Hall. "Kentarre must have had some intention of going outside," Hermione breathed. "We must be not that far behind her." Ron checked the entire Hall to make sure it was clear, and then Harry asked, "Ready?" The other two both nodded, and they checked their hold on the cloak before starting off at their quietest pace across the Hall. At one point, Harry stepped on the edge of the cloak, making them all stumble. Hermione's arm flew out from under the cloak for a split-second, and they were all afraid that they would come tumbling down onto the Hall floor, but Ron grabbed Hermione and Harry pulled the cloak out from under his sneaker. So far, no harm had been done, but they all tried hard not to look nervously around to see if anyone was about to see them.   
The journey to the door seemed to last an eternity, but finally they made it. Ron and Harry pulled the door open while Hermione kept the lookout, and then they all slipped through, easing the door shut behind them.   
Outside was just as cold as Harry remembered it, if not colder. Right away, their teeth were set to chattering. Hermione asked, "So, what exactly are we looking for? We don't know what she saw. We could be hours out here, looking at something out of the ordinary and not knowing it." Harry refused to give up. "Just keep your eyes open. She didn't start swearing for nothing." Ron protested, "But Kentarre would swear if a tree fell down. We don't know what we're looking for." Harry's shoulders sagged, knowing his friend was probably right.   
Just then, Hermione exclaimed, "Look! Over there!" Harry looked where she was pointing, and he saw the sky lit up with bright colors; he could distinctly make out an orangey-red, yellow, a foresty green, a deep purple, an ordinary-looking brown, and a whitish silver. "Those don't look like Northern Lights," said Hermione, her voice speaking her wonder. Ron could do nothing but gape, and Harry's brow knitted together. "Well, if they aren't Northern Lights," said Harry, "what are they?" Hermione said, "Well, I think we just found what Kentarre was looking at. Come on!"  
Ron protested, "But we don't know how far away they are!"   
Hermione, who had broken out from under the cloak and was striding toward the Forest, which was directly under the lights, looked back at him. "That's what we're going to find out!" Harry and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed her. Harry pulled off the cloak, and Ron handed it to him; Harry folded it and stuck it in his robe's breast pocket.  
When they got in the Forest, Hermione lit her wand, but when Harry and Ron started to do the same, she stopped them. "We only need one," she said, "and we don't want it to be so bright we can't follow the lights anymore." Ron shook his head, Harry shrugged, and they moved on.  
It was slow work, and they never seemed to get any closer to the shimmering apparition, but eventually they came to where they were almost directly under it; or so it seemed.  
Without any sort of warning, the lights faded into the night, leaving the trio of them stranded in the dim light of Hermione's wand. The three of them stood there looking at each other with varying expressions that said 'Uh-oh' and 'What do we do now?'. Ron was about to say something when Hermione put her hand up to silence him. She looked as if she were listening very hard, and Harry tried to ask her with his expression what she was listening for, but she wouldn't look at him. After a bit, she motioned for them to follow her and moved on in the direction they had been going. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged, but they did follow, not wanting to be separated.  
At first, Harry heard nothing, but as they went slowly on, he began to hear something that sounded like it might be voices. Just then, Hermione stopped, and Ron would've run right into her if she had not put her hand out. Hermione put out her wand, put her finger to her lips, and then to her ear. Harry leaned closer, and the three of them adjusted their ears to hear what was being said. Harry couldn't hear much, and he tried to get closer so he could. He almost fell, and there was a falter in the voices. He froze, and after a tense pause, the conversation continued. He moved again, this time finding a hole in the dense vegetation that he could peep through. What he saw made his eyes go wide. There was a clearing, about fifty paces both ways, and not too far away stood a group of people--six people, to be exact, and only one that he recognized. Kentarre stood closest to the hidden trio, and the other five were facing her, standing at intervals in a kind of sideways zigzag. Kentarre was speaking angrily to them in a strange language--possibly the same one she had been speaking only 3/4 of an hour ago in the Gryffindor common room.   
It was then that Harry noticed how the others were dressed; it seemed to Harry that Zorensei would not have looked out of place here. They were all wearing outfits that, like Zorensei's, seemed to have a main color, and they were all different. The clothes looked almost ecclesiastical, with many overpieces and sashes that were variations of the main color. *But why is Kentarre involved in this?* he asked himself. *How does she know these people?*   
Kentarre finished speaking, and one of them, dressed in a mouse sort of brown, which would've made him look like a monk if his clothes had not been so accesorized, stepped forward and addressed her in the same language, his voice pleading with her, reasoning even. Though Harry could not understand what was being said, it was almost as though he understood what was going on. He couldn't have explained how he knew even if he tried, but it seemed as though the entire situation had revealed itself without him noticing; the group of five were warriors that had come to help Kentarre, but she didn't want them here because they had come too soon, as if there were things she still had to do before they were even in the picture. The man in brown was telling her that they had detected the fight between Learst and Zorensei and had come here as quickly as possible, thinking that she had gotten herself into trouble; and besides, she was going to need them eventually anyway, them and their weapons, and they could keep hidden until she called them. Kentarre bluntly said that she still didn't want them here yet, because too many things could go wrong, like they could be found, or Learst could see them.   
Harry then noticed the weapons that the man in brown had spoken of; each one of the five held one, and they were all different. There were two women and three men; one of the two women, the one dressed in yellow, held a bow and a quiver of arrows, and the other, garbed in a kind of orange-red, held an enormous, intricately decorated shield. The three men, respectively: green, purple, and brown held a staff, a sword, and a piece of folded cloth that was a brownish-black material and looked light as paper.  
Kentarre finally consented to accept help from the strangers, and then the man in brown, who had the piece of cloth folded and hung at his belt, knelt to Kentarre. The others all did the same, going down on their left knees. Then Kentarre told them to get up with one word, which they did. Then she instructed them to stay here and let no one see them. Harry couldn't quite understand the next part, but it seemed to be that Kentarre was telling them to return to their original state, whatever that meant, and to not use their weapons--not yet. Then she told them that she would go back now, and they all knelt again respectfully, bowing their heads. They all murmured something in unison that Harry couldn't catch, and then Kentarre nodded and turned back to the woods. Only too late, Harry saw that if she kept going, she would walk right into their hiding place!  
He tried to communicate this to the other two, but they had already moved away. It was just him left, and Kentarre was coming closer every second. He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and roughly pulled it over himself, and only just in time; Kentarre passed by him, striding with more purpose than he had ever seen her before. She went right on without stopping, so he knew that she hadn't seen either Ron or Hermione.   
When she was completely out of sight, Harry almost let out a sigh of relief, but then he remembered the other people in the clearing just behind him. He took off the cloak and looked through his peephole once more, but he didn't see the multicolored warriors--instead, he saw five ordinary-looking people dressed in black robes, just like the ones they wore at Hogwarts. Harry looked over at Ron, who had been waving at him to get his attention. Ron pointed in the direction that Kentarre had just been going, indicating that they should head back. Harry nodded and slowly got up, trying to not make any noise, and returned to his friends' sides. "Let's go," he whispered hurriedly, and Hermione nodded. The three of them shouldered the Invisibility Cloak and started back toward the castle.  
It was after about twenty-thirty minutes of forest that they finally emerged onto the castle lawn. "How long do you think it took Kentarre to get back?" asked Ron, breathing hard. Hermione said, "Well, she looked as though she could've kept going for quite a while, so I'd say she's been back for about ten minutes or so." Harry asked, "How do you figure that?"  
"Well," she answered, "She looked pretty mad when she left that clearing, and she was walking pretty fast."  
"So were we," protested Ron. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting.  
"Oh, stop being such a baby!" Hermione told him. Harry said pointedly, "Let's just get back into the common room. Then we can continue this little quibble."  
They crossed the lawn and entered with caution. When they were sure that the coast was clear, they made their way up the marble staircase and to the Gryffindor common, having no run-ins with any prowlers because one, the castle was very large, and two, it was so late, or rather early, that no one who was about was likely to be more than half awake. The teachers would've all gone to bed, which would've left Peeves, who never slept, and Filch, who probably didn't either.  
When they arrived back into the common room, after a little hassle with the Fat Lady, who had decided to fill their ears with a lecture about going out late at night and disturbing other people's sleep before letting them in, Ron collapsed in one of the armchairs. The fire had completely gone out, leaving the room lightless save for the dim light from the nearly-set moon. Hermione lit her wand, and Harry did the same; Ron, who was too worn out to even stand, merely gasped for air. Harry looked at him concernedly, but Hermione would have no mercy. "You know," she told him, "you really should go to bed."  
He gave her an irritated look and said defensively, "I'm not used to staying out this late, that's all!" Hermione sighed and went to the window. "It is a bit late," she said quietly. "I guess they wanted to make sure we were all really asleep." Harry joined her. "Well, if that's true, that was definitely the way to go about doing it," he said, glancing at Ron, who was sprawled on the armchair.   
Hermione smiled and shook her head, and then she went over to sit in another one of the armchairs, the one facing Ron's, presumably to think. Harry, however, remained at the window to do the very same thing. He looked out over the Forbidden Forest to the place where they had first seen the lights in the sky. It was then that he realized that the colors of the lights they had seen matched the ones that the mysterious warriors had been wearing; deep purple, pine green, orangish-red, brown, and yellow. *Well, that makes sense, since they're the ones who put the lights in the sky,* he reasoned.   
He looked back over at Hermione and saw that she had fallen asleep with her head on her fist. Ron was snoring gently with his chin on his shoulder and his arms dangling over the arms of the chair. Harry smiled faintly at the two of them and then went over to gently prod them awake and tell them to go to bed, which they did without objection. Harry himself, with one last glance out the window, followed Ron up to the boys' dormitory and to his bed.  
*The Next Morning*  
Hermione yawned. "I don't know how I'm ever going to make up all this lost sleep," she said quietly. Ron replied, "I do. In History of Magic, like we always do."  
"Well, like you always do."  
"Hey, can I help it if Professor Binns is a bore?"  
"There are methods of looking occupied, you know. You could at least try to stay awake."  
"Why bother? I'd get so bored of trying to stay awake that I might actually fall asleep."  
"You're insufferable, you know!"  
Ron shrugged and yawned again. Harry looked around and then wondered aloud, "Has anyone seen Kentarre this morning?" Ron's eyes fluttered open and he said, "Huh? Kentarre? Nope." Hermione also shook her head, and Harry, who was close to nodding himself, decided not to worry about it. After all, Kentarre could take care of her own affairs.  
Later that morning, in Herbology, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dean, whom they had asked to be in their group because Seamus kept on bringing up sports, saying that all of them were way left behind where Quidditch was concerned, which Dean disagreed with, so they left Kentarre to be picked by another group, where she ended up with Seamus and Neville and one of the Hufflepuff girls. Kentarre was wearing her dragonhide gloves, but when asked why, she wouldn't say; they were working today on repotting one of the smaller plants, a species that Professor Sprout had called Isidets, and small they were. Harry had never seen a plant so small. They each took up only three ounces of soil, and they were in pots that were made of a kind of ceramic, which, said Professor Sprout, was essential, as they were allergic to clay pots. Thus they had been instructed to carefully take the Isidets, which were marked with a blue tag, and place them into another pot that had been similarly marked.   
However, as she was telling them this, Professor Sprout said, "Now, before you put them in the new soil, you must place a spell that I will teach you on it. The Isidets are, as you can see, very delicate, and the soil they are put in must have certain protections against normal conditions. Now, the spell is as follows: take your wand and do this-" The professor performed a rather easy-looking motion with her own wand, and then asked the class to try it as well, which most of them did without much difficulty. "This really shouldn't cause you any trouble," she told them, but Neville didn't look so sure. He was asking Hermione to show him again, which she did, slower and with patience. After a while, he seemed to get it, but he looked disappointed, because Herbology was his best subject for the sole reason that there was less wand-waving and potion-making and you-have-to-get-this-exactly-right-or-else.   
They all then went to get their ceramic pots from the front of the class and then returned to their areas to begin work. Kentarre kept her gloves on and continually and inexplicably glanced at their previous project, the Carkels, which were blooming bright blue blossoms. She looked more wary than usual, even for her, and Harry occasionally tried to catch her eye, but with no success; she would not look at him.   
After class, when they were walking away from the greenhouses, Harry caught up with Kentarre, who had shot out of the room like there was a hippogriff on her tail. "Hey, Kentarre! Wait up!" She did not look at him, but she did slow down so he could catch up. "All right, out with it," Harry told her. "What's up?"  
Hermione agreed. "You can't avoid us forever, you know." Kentarre looked at her sharply. "I never tried, for you are right, it would be completely futile. However, I can choose not to tell you anything, which is what I'm going to do until further notice."   
"From who?" Ron wanted to know.  
She gave him a withering glare, but he would not be so easily thwarted. "I think you know perfectly well from who, Ron Weasley," she said in a voice that had icicles on it. Ron looked defensive, but there was also a trace of shock on his face. He exchanged worried glances with the other two, and Hermione took over the investigation. "No, actually, we don't," she said in a businesslike manner. "Please, enlighten us."   
Kentarre's eyes flashed at the bushy-haired brunette, who met them with a cool stare. "Stay out of my business," Kentarre growled. "You may find yourselves biting off more than you're ready to chew." The silver-haired girl picked up her pace, intent on leaving them behind, and Harry called after her, "Now what's that supposed to mean?" but she was gone. Harry heard a snicker from behind him. "Awww, Potter, are you having a fight with your girlfriend?"   
Harry turned around, and there was Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, who were chuckling oafishly. Harry asked, "Malfoy, why is it that whenever I even so much as talk to a girl that you think she's my girlfriend?" Malfoy replied with a sneer, "Because it's true. She said so herself." Hermione glared at him. "That's a load of tripe and you know it, Malfoy," she told him, and he looked at her with cool eyes. "So you're saying this because you think you got the job? My, my, Potter, we have been busy, haven't we?"   
"Oh, can it, Malfoy. Everyone knows you're all talk. Kentarre proved it."  
"All she proved is that she would stoop that low just to get back at me."  
"Well, that makes two of you, doesn't it?"  
"I'd watch out for her if I were you, Potter. I mean, you should know firsthand that you can't really trust a girl." He paused here to look pointedly at Hermione, whose eyes flashed.   
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Why should whatever she's up to concern you, Malfoy? I thought you two were over."  
"So you think you're special just because she talks to you? Your head's gotten bigger, Potter. I'd watch out for that if I were you."  
Ron started toward Malfoy, apparently having had about enough of the banter. Hermione, however, was ready. She took a hold of the back folds of his robes and pulled--hard. Harry grabbed one of Ron's arms, and together, they managed to restrain him, while Malfoy laughed at all three of them. Ron said through clenched teeth, "You'd better keep a good eye on your back, Malfoy."  
"Threats, Weasley? I thought we had done with all that."  
"It wasn't a threat, Malfoy, it was a warning."  
The oily blond laughed again and walked off with his two cronies following him. Ron slowly relaxed, and Harry and Hermione loosened their grips on him. "He's got something coming to him," Ron growled, and Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. Then the three of them finished their walk towards Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures.   
Kentarre was nowhere to be seen, which was odd, as class was about to start, but Malfoy, however, was there, making himself useful by talking quietly to a snickering crowd of Slytherins. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up, Malfoy broke through his surroundings and smirked at them. Harry ignored him and the rest of them as best he could while Ron was looking thunderous.   
Hagrid emerged from his cabin just as Kentarre appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She joined the class at the rear, but she could not escape for long the searching eyes of both Malfoy and Harry. Malfoy got there first, and the two of them engaged in what seemed to Harry to be a one-way conversation. Malfoy murmured furtively in Kentarre's ear, and Kentarre replied shortly, her annoyance showing all over her face, as if there was a bug that she longed to swat at. Malfoy clearly had figured this out, and continued his torment. Harry couldn't hear a word of what was said, but this exchange seemed to go on for quite a while, and Kentarre's answers became increasingly longer. Finally she caught his eye, held it, and delivered what appeared to be a deadly insult that lasted for a few minutes. After this she moved up towards Hagrid, and Malfoy sulked away.  
The lesson today was, of course, their term project: the wraiths. Hagrid proceeded to tell them that their task would be to simply feed and study them. They would then have to write a one-roll parchment on the behavior of the wraiths in a new environment. Hagrid then put them one by one into another crate, which was their signal to start taking notes. Kentarre was looking pensive as she pointed to each of the wraiths as if counting them. She then left the class and went up to Hagrid. "Did another wraith go missing?" she asked him. Hagrid looked up and counted them himself. "Well, bless me, there is one missin'! I hadn' noticed it 'till now! There used teh be eight of 'em, but now there's..." But Kentarre had stopped listening. She was now looking angry, almost as angry as she had looked the previous night in the common room, and her gaze turned to the Forest beyond Hagrid's cabin. However, she apparently decided that whatever it was could wait, because she turned back to the rest of the class, her jaw set like stone, her eyes flinty. She came back over and proceeded to take notes with the rest of them, avoiding Harry's eyes.  
After class was break, and Kentarre lingered until all the class had gone. Harry didn't notice her staying, because Neville had gotten bitten by one of the wraiths, and they were all taking him to the hospital wing. Kentarre asked Hagrid, who was heading back up to his cabin, "Did you hear any noise coming from the pen? At any time?" He looked at her for a minute, and then he said, "Well, no, not exac'ly." Kentarre said an abrupt "Thank you" and then went back up to the castle at a rather fast pace. Hagrid shook his head at her as she went, and then continued to his cabin.  
Kentarre went up to the library, intent on having an intense study session alone--well, as intense as she could make it within the short break. Today was Tuesday, and she knew that a certain someone visited the library regularly every Tuesday during first break. She had found this out by asking him; now, she was glad she had.   
No one molested her on her way, because all of them by now were used to her swift stride and her get-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-run-you-over expression. She made it to the library, only to find that the vulture-like Madam Pince was standing outside its closed doors, looking menacing. Kentarre barely had time to open her mouth to ask when the librarian barked, "The library's closed. Come back next week." Kentarre's eyes flashed, but she held in the orders she had been about to give the woman. Instead, she asked, "Why is the library closed?" The woman leaned closer and said, "Read the sign."   
The silver-haired girl looked past Madam Pince and saw a large black-and-white sign on the library's left door. It read 'Library closed due to repairs on the windows.' Kentarre deeply wanted to ask what happened to the windows, but the woman was now eyeing her with nasty expectancy, and she did not want to aggravate Madam Pince any more; the obsessive librarian might not let her in next time if she did. Accordingly, Kentarre started back down the hall the way she had come, but with no more intention of finding Harry than of finding lice in Malfoy's hair. However, the person she did intend to find would be fairly easy to find; he would be in the place he was in when he wasn't in the library or eating.   
Kentarre stopped. This thought had never occured to her before. *So he has turned human. I had my doubts, but I'm sure now. He's human. How marvelous.* She then continued her walk down the hall, but before she could reach her destination, the bell rang. She began to curse savagely on her way, having to alter her course towards her next class, going through several languages before exhausting her supply of curses and breath.   
She arrived at her next class, which was Charms, still fuming. To Harry, who had been in the class for only a few minutes, she looked livid, almost murderous, but he had not seen her when the bell first rang. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and shrugged at each other. Kentarre took her seat without talking to either of them, and Professor Flitwick started class. They were working on charming pillows to be softer, and there was a bit of a contest involved; whoever had the softest pillow by the end of the class, with Professor Flitwick himself as the judge, would get homework off tonight. They all had groaned, because each and every one of them knew that they didn't stand a chance against Hermione.   
Meanwhile, Kentarre's thoughts seethed in her mind, stirring themselves into an angry froth. *That bell just had to ring!* she thought, and cursed again. This was followed by a pause and another string of curses in varying languages. *I will get him alone one of these days, even if I have to wait until Thursday, and then he will have an earful delivered by yours truly!* The girl's pale face turned once again to the window just to her right, and she felt that sense of unfriendly presence coming from it. She attempted to shake it off, and then she went over to the professor's desk to pick up a pillow. The pillows, of course, were rough and lumpy, so it would be easy to tell whose was the softest.   
Ron quickly made his statement. "This is all a load of rubbish," he groaned. "When am I ever going to use this charm?" Harry personally agreed with him, but he didn't get a chance to say so, because Hermione piped, "Well, Ron, you never know, do you? I mean, you could be stuck at some nasty roadside inn and have to sleep in a bug-ridden bed with a lumpy, hard pillow, and with this spell, you could make the pillow a lot nicer, and-"   
"Hermione," said Ron with a tone of okay-I've-had-enough. "You're babbling." She 'hmmph'ed at him and went back to her pillow. Harry tried not to laugh at the pair of them, when he spotted Neville's pillow. Fortunately, this time he had done no worse than to change its color, but the color it had turned was rather remarkable. It was now a kind of greenish-blue color, but the funny thing was that the color was changing even as Harry watched it. Seamus and Dean had started to laugh appreciatively, and Harry was stifling his giggle. Ron heard him, and asked, "What?" Unable to reply, Harry pointed over in Neville's direction. Ron looked, and his eyes lit up. "Hey, Neville, how'd you do that?"   
Neville, at a loss for words, suddenly noticed that someone was talking to him. "W-what?" he stammered. Ron repeated the question, and Neville said, "Well, I just said 'Incadesus Colorium,' and-"   
Hermione interrupted him. "Well, that's because it's really Incandesus Fluforium, Neville, not-"  
"Cool, let me try it!" Ron raised his wand, and soon his pillow was also shifting rainbow colors. Harry said, "Hey, that's neat." He also performed the spell, and his assignment was soon shimmering away with the other two. Soon the whole class, minus Hermione and Kentarre, the former of which thought they were all being utterly ridiculous and the latter of which didn't care, had produced cushions that rotated through the colors of the rainbow, as if they could not make up their minds which color they wanted to be.   
"Neville," said Ron, clapping him on the back, "you've discovered a treasure." Neville's pudgy face cracked into a rare smile, and Harry, grinning openly, went back to enchanting his pillow to being softer.  
They were having so much fun that it was not until later that Kentarre caught his eye. She was watching him and his friends make attempts at their pillows with a certain amusement in her eye. Her pillow, he then saw, was on her desk in front of him, still plain. He couldn't imagine why she wasn't working on it, unless she had finished already, which was highly unlikely, because not even Hermione had gotten finished. Harry decided against pointing this out to the others because it wasn't all that important, but his eyes somehow found themselves drifting over in her direction through the whole class period.  
However, when class was over, he completely forgot about Kentarre altogether. Professor Flitwick had been so amused by their iridescent pillows that he laughed himself off his chair. It was time for the test.   
He instructed everyone to get in a line and give him their pillows one at a time so he could grade them. Harry and Ron got spots in line near the back, but Hermione was the first to go. She cheerily handed the professor her pillow, and he placed it in front of him on the desk. He removed his hat (causing several people in the back to snicker at the absence of hair on the top of his head) and laid his head down on top of it. "Ahhhh," he said contentedly.   
After a pause he roused himself and cleared his throat in a dignified manner. "Well, um, yes, I think this deserves a high score…" he said, scribbling on his parchment. Hermione beamed at him and removed the pillow, placing it in the box that they had come from.   
The line progressed, growing smaller and smaller. At last it came to Harry's turn, and the professor moved his head around a bit before commenting, "Fair. A bit lumpy, but fair." Harry took it away while his score was being tallied. Ron's results were slightly less than satisfactory, but that was because Seamus had been cracking some of his latest jokes, making Ron laugh and aim his wand a little off-his desk was now varying degrees of hardness, some parts being softer than others.   
It was Kentarre's that was the real surprise. The professor placed his head on her pillow-and it almost sank out of sight! He cried out in surprised pleasure, catching several class members' attention. "Yes, you've certainly mastered this one," he mused to himself as he wrote her score down.  
As it turned out, Kentarre had had the softest pillow, and the other students got out their quills to write down their assignment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione being no exception. Kentarre simply stared at the scene on the other side of the window, her face expressionless.   
Just as everyone was putting their books away, there was a rapping at the window. Kentarre was the only one who didn't jump. There, fluttering to a stop on the sill, was a falcon, Kentarre's falcon Nemesis. She looked at the professor, whose expression of curiosity mirrored those of the rest of the class, and then she opened the window to let the bird in. She undid the message around its foot, nodded gratefully, and then it flew off. Kentarre took one look at the folded message, and then pocketed it.   
The bell rang.  
There was much talking in the halls as the students were let out to go to their last class. Harry and Ron had gotten into a discussion about their favorite arguing matter, Quidditch, and Hermione was going over the spell they had learned with Neville, who had never quite gotten the knack of it.   
Their last class was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall met them outside the classroom with the same expression that she always did: businesslike and straightforward. Harry and his friends entered, laughing with the rest of the students as they all went to class. Kentarre was already there, and she was sitting with her chin resting on a loosely balled fist, looking pensive.   
They all took their places, and class began. Professor McGonagall got up to the front of the class and began the lesson. They were going to attempt to change a whistle into a wombat, and it looked difficult. Neville leaned over and asked Hermione rather louder than he had intended, "What's a wombat look like?" Professor McGonagall looked at him sternly and said, "Longbottom, open your book to page 325, and there you will find a picture of a wombat. The rest of you can get started." Neville miserably got out his book, and Harry went to work on his whistle.   
At the end of the hour, Harry had managed to produce a rather greyish-looking wombat who still had a small hole in the nape of his neck. They placed their wombats in cages for grading and then packed their books. Amongst the chatter of the Gryffindors, Kentarre stood by the window, completely oblivious to everything else. Indeed, when the bell rang, she seemed not to notice. Hermione, who had been watching her suspiciously, called to her. She did not look up; a closer examination revealed that she seemed to be lost in thought. Her eyes were far away, and Harry could almost feel the absence of her mind. He approached her and followed her eyes, though he saw nothing but the forest that surrounded the entire castle. However, though it might have been part of his imagination, he did seem to feel a kind of chill coming from the woods.   
An equally chilly voice from beside him made him jump. "He's planning something," said Kentarre softly. "We'd better be on the watch. Potter, you're coming with me." She started to walk away, but Harry stopped her. "Wait a minute. Where are we going?" She gave him a sly smile. "Well, you want to know what he's up to, don't you?" She continued towards the door.  
Harry followed her, with Ron and Hermione closely in tow, listening. "What who's up to?" he asked insistently. Her jaw visibly tensed, and she didn't answer him. Harry began to lose his temper. "Look, you can keep secrets all you want, but I'd kinda like to know who it is we're spying on. I haven't agreed to even go with you!"   
"That's because I'm not giving you a choice, Potter. You're coming."  
"Says who? What if I refuse?"  
"Well maybe you didn't hear me. I said you're coming, whether you refuse or not."  
"Why is it so important that I don't know who it is that we're dealing with? What are you hiding? Why are you keeping this from me?"  
"Because you already know."  
This startled Harry. It was not the answer he'd expected, not that he'd expected much, and he didn't quite know how to answer that. After a pause, he said, trying not to sound ignorant, "I do?" It didn't work. Kentarre replied shortly, "Yes, you do. His name is-"   
The silver-haired girl stopped suddenly, almost causing Hermione to collide with her. Kentarre's black eyes met Harry's bright green ones. For an instant, it seemed to Harry that he saw an eternity staring out at him from those eyes; but it was only for an instant. Her eyes narrowed at him. "I'll talk to you about this later. I'll be in the common room shortly, but there's something I have to do first." With that, she left him standing in the rapidly emptying corridor.   
Ron came up behind Harry. "How does she walk so bloody fast?" he breathed. "I could barely keep up!" Harry said nothing, but his eyes told Ron and Hermione that he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He too practically flew off down the hall, his short legs taking big strides to try to catch up. Ron, still panting, exchanged a glance with Hermione, but Hermione shook her head. "No," she said, "I don't think he means for us to follow him."   
And Kentarre, whose thoughts remained with the black-haired boy with the scar, wove her way through the castle to her destination. *Potter,* she thought, as if he could hear her, *if we can just get through this, I swear to you, you'll solve more problems and gain more wisdom than is in your fathom. All you have to do is trust me.* She reached the doorway to the place where he should be. He wasn't. She threw open the door way to find an empty Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Her brows met in anger. "I'll get you, Learst," she muttered darkly, "if I have to hunt you down myself."  
She turned to find Harry right behind her. Her eyes widened, mirroring his. *He followed me!* she thought, at first her thoughts sizzling with anger. Then she calmed. *Well, I guess it's about time I did tell him a thing or two.* Harry was breathing hard, as if he had been running. "Did you hear?" she asked him, and he stared at her for a minute before nodding, as if he was afraid she might be angry. She sighed and told him, "Well, I suppose... go find your friends and then meet me in the common room. And this time, I'm going straight there." Harry noticed that her eyes shimmered oddly, and he wanted to believe her. "All right," he said, and without another word, he walked back down the hall to where he had left Hermione and Ron to tell them what he had heard.  
Kentarre had known that he would. It's what friends do. She sighed again, this time the sigh containing volumes of relief and a hint of pity for the boy who had just turned the corner. He had to do all of this with one eye blinded. Kentarre knew that if she had had to do this in his shoes, she would've either gone mad or killed somebody. Or both.  
Then Kentarre, true to her word, headed for the common room of the Gryffindors.  
  
Harry found Ron and Hermione where he had left them. They didn't notice him walk up, for they were both staring down another hall. Harry came up behind Ron and followed their eyes to the person down the hall. It was a man who had his back turned to them; he was dressed in Hogwarts teacher's robes, and he looked very busy. Harry determined that the teacher was Professor Jycein. "What's up?" he whispered to Ron, who jumped out of his skin. After recovering, he told Harry that Jycein had arrived there out of a side corridor and had been standing there for some time, just fumbling with something; he hadn't even looked at them. Harry's brow furrowed, wondering what the man could be doing, and then suddenly Jycein stuffed whatever it was that he had been handling into his robes and rushed away down the hall--in the opposite direction. Hermione started after him without a word, but Harry laid a hand on her shoulder. "Wait," he muttered, "we're supposed to meet Kentarre in the common room."  
"I want to know what he's up to!" Hermione pulled out from under Harry's grasp and continued down the hall towards wherever Jycein was going. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged. Ron began to follow, and Harry, after one glance down the hall that went to the common room, did the same.  
They tracked him through the corridors until he led all three of them to a hidden place behind one of the tapestries that Harry was almost sure just the day before had been a solid wall. However, Hermione led the way, and she decided to follow Jycein all the way. Harry stopped her, saying, "Wait. What if he's just leading us on? What if it's a trap? He probably knows we've been following him." Ron thought about this and then said sardonically, "Yeah. I mean, he could have a whole army behind this tapestry that we never knew about. Come on." Ron moved forward and held open the tapestry for the other two, letting it swish back in place after him.   
The tapestry entrance led to a dark hallway that had fewer torches than the open corridors in Hogwarts. There were no windows, and the place was made entirely of cold stone. There were voices coming from up ahead, and the three of them looked at each other before deciding to go on.   
The hall didn't go far before it came out into a small, square room with a small, square window that let in a bit of odd, greenish light. Harry, who had decided to go first, peeked around the corner and saw that the room was much like the hall attached to it; bare, cold, and stone in its entirety. Professor Jycein stood facing the window; Harry could hear him mumbling something, and then a cold, expressionless voice answered him. Harry couldn't mistake the voice; he had heard it in his dreams as well as in person. It was Voldemort.   
Ron nudged him from behind. "What's happening?" he hissed, and Harry relayed what was going on. Hermione went pale when she heard who Jycein was talking to, and Ron's eyes looked odd. Then Harry went back to listening, and the conversation became clearer as he listened.   
"You know that we can't have her finding our little temporary base. Do whatever you need to, but don't let her find us!" Voldemort was saying, his voice rising a little and sending a chill down Harry's spine.   
"Very good, Master. I will make sure that she does not interfere."  
"I also called you because there is a matter that concerns me. I have reason to believe that she has called in help from outside." Harry then knew that Voldemort was talking about Kentarre. "Lucius tells me that he has had words with you. You were supposed to do away with her before then. Why could you not do this simple thing?"  
"My Lord, it is not as easy as you make it sound. She is strong and she is smart. I have tried to best her in battle, but I failed. Zorensei is just too powerful! I cannot overtake her." At this, Harry started. *Was he talking about Kentarre or Zorensei?* he began, but then his mind finished the thought for him. *They're the same person. I thought so for a while, but I never was sure.*  
"Hmmm. Perhaps I have set my expectations of my servant too high. Perhaps he would like me to let someone else handle the job that I have set before him, since he cannot complete it himself."  
"But, my Lord, she--"  
"You will not fail again! If you do, I shall personally feed your hide to the wraiths that our pet is so fond of. That is, if there is any left of you after Zorensei is done with you." The voice laughed, a familiar laugh that had no real mirth at all, no emotion. The hairs on the nape of Harry's neck stood.  
"Now, on the matter of the Potter boy--" Harry's ears perked, and Hermione, who was right next to him, gasped. "He must not be allowed to leave. We will get him--with or without Zorensei. It matters not. But not now. We do not want to alert Dumbledore."  
"Very good, my Lord. I will do as you have commanded."  
This sounded like the end of the conversation to Harry. He looked at the other two; Hermione looked as if she had been Petrified, and Ron's face betrayed serious calculation. Harry nodded his head towards the hall, when there was a stirring from within the room. Jycein had ended the connection with Voldemort, and he was preparing to leave.   
The three of them went as quickly and as quietly as they could back down the hall, not looking back for fear of finding Jycein right behind them.   
They didn't stop until they had reached the entrance to the common room. Ron stopped for breath, leaning against the wall. Hermione was also panting, and Harry's heart was pounding to jump out of his throat. Ron said after a pause, "Well, should we go in?" Harry still couldn't breathe, so he nodded. Hermione gave the password and they went in.  
It was dark; someone had put out the fire. The sun outside the window had gone down, though Harry hadn't realized just how much time had passed since they had gotten out of class until now. There were shadows everywhere, and Hermione was about to light her wand when Harry said aloud, "Hello?"   
A familiar voice from the darkest shadow said, "You're late, Potter." A girl stepped out of the shadow by the window: a girl dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt covered in black lace and the same color blue jeans with black flame erupting from the hem. Her long white hair went down past her thighs, and the blue streaks across her face, great stripes under her eyes and in an intricate design skirting her forehead, seemed iridescent in the light of dusk. Her silvery eyes went from Harry, to Hermione, and then to Ron, whose mouth was open. One end of Harry's lips curled upward. "We got caught up, Kentarre," he said. She smiled. Ron said, "Hold on! You mean that this is--?" Harry nodded. "And she's also--?" Another nod. Hermione's eyes looked distrustful, but Ron asked Harry, "How long have you known this without telling us?"  
Harry looked uncomfortable. "Well, I wasn't sure, and Hermione already thought that she could be, so I didn't want to..." he stammered, but Zorensei held up a hand. She said gently, "Please, let me explain. I think I have a better view of what's going on than any of you. My name is Zorensei." But she never got to finish, because Ron interrupted, "Wait, you said her name was Kentarre." She smiled and shook her head. "Perhaps I'm going too fast. In the form that you know me, I am Kentarre. However, when I change into this form, my name becomes Zorensei. I change form, so my name changes as well." Ron nodded slowly, and she continued.  
"I'm here to fight a battle that has been a long time waiting. You know my opponent, I believe; his name is Voldemort." Harry saw Ron wince out of the corner of his eye, and he was reminded of his friend's dislike of hearing the name spoken. Even Hermione looked uncomfortable. Harry looked back to Zorensei. "Go on."  
She nodded. "The reason I did not come before was because--" It was Hermione's turn to interrupt. "Wait a minute," she said, "why don't you start from the beginning?" Zorensei considered this, and then nodded. "Very well," she agreed, "but why don't you tell me how much you know of me, and then I'll fill in whatever gaps there are?" Hermione said, "Well, we followed you into the forest that night that you and Harry went off to fight whoever it was, and we saw you talking with a group of people dressed in funny clothes and speaking in a different language. We couldn't understand what you were saying, but--"   
"I could," said Harry suddenly. Hermione looked at him. "When were you planning to tell us?" she demanded, and Harry said, "Well, I didn't want to tell you because I couldn't quite explain how it happened, and..." He then proceeded to tell them all that he had understood, but when he got to the part where Kentarre had been instructing them, he stopped, searching for a word. Zorensei watched his struggle, and she supplied, "I told them to kiese and stay that way. Kiese means to return to your original state; in my case, if I were to kiese, I would go back to being Kentarre. Does that make sense?" Hermione nodded, but Ron scratched his head for a while before he seemed to get it. Zorensei then looked back to Harry, who was watching her with uncertainty. "You understood what it was we were saying?" Harry nodded, and he saw something flash in Zorensei's eyes that looked something akin to triumph, and then it was gone. She continued, "I suppose, then, that I don't have to tell you that those people out there are my warriors. They serve me, along with the rest of the world that I live in. You see, I am what we call a Kelohr, the ruler, sort of. You see this?" she held up her left hand so they could see the three blue rings, which were throwing their bluish tinge on everything around them. "These blue rings are what make me a Kelohr. I was born with three; my warriors were all born with two. A normal Kelohran is born with one and eventually develops two when they reach the age of 100." Here she paused to let this sink in, and Hermione, seemingly on a whim, asked, "How old are you, then?" Zorensei smiled and answered, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Harry pointed out, "Well, all of this is rather hard to believe, so why don't you try us?"  
She smiled and gave a small, quiet laugh. "I suppose you're right," she conceded, "so I'll try you. I'm 3,845 years old and going." At this point Ron's mouth fell open again, and Hermione raised her eyebrows. Harry found this immensely hard to believe, but the proof of it was looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Am I going too fast?" she asked them, and they all exchanged glances before Harry said, "How do we know that you're not a different person altogether and that you're just pulling our legs?"  
She gave him a grave look. "You want more proof?" she asked him, and he nodded. She also nodded, and then she stood. "Very well." She raised her left hand over her head and whispered one word. There was a flash of blue light, but not so blinding to make one look away. Harry saw her long tresses darken and dissipate and her clothes morph until Kentarre was standing before him, looking at him with black eyes instead of silver. She tried to resist smiling as she said, "Is that proof enough for you, Potter?" He could say nothing at the moment, not being able to do anything more than stare. "How is this possible?" he asked after a long minute, and she sat down again. "Well, my friend, that would be a truly long story. I have to get on to why I'm here." Her tone became sterner. "I told you that I have also had troubles with Voldemort, although my troubles with him started long before he was even called this. You see, he used to be one of my warriors himself, long before you were even thought of, long before these walls were ever built. He was fascinated with humans, he always had been, and then finally it became too much. He wanted to become one of you. Now, all of my warriors were given weapons, the weapons they were destined to carry since before they were born. His was special to him, and its powers were also essential to his transformation. He used it to turn himself into a human, and then he went to Earth.  
"Now, since Kelohrans already have magic powers, when we turn human, we gain human magic powers. Therefore, he was turned into a wizard. When he came to Earth, he had to be born as a human, because now that his soul was human, he needed a body, and you and I both know that humans don't just come out of thin air. So he started life as Tom Riddle, and I believe you know the rest."  
Hermione held up a hand. "So if you could've defeated him all this time, why didn't you?"   
"Well, because I saw that the Potter boy would soon have interventions with Kaeru--which is what we called him when he was with us--and I didn't want to upset that. I saw that he was getting stronger, and that Harry here would soon put a stop to that. I wanted to see if the boy really could kill him without my help first."   
Ron suddenly said, "Harry's nearly got himself killed a dozen times, and you could've put an end to that the whole time, your reason not to being that you 'wanted to see if he could kill him without your help'! What kind of a reason is that? Harry could've died!"   
"Oh, no he couldn't have," she said with a mysterious smile. "Why not?" Ron demanded, sounding more and more sure that what Kentarre was telling them was complete balogna. "Because I have been watching him, and I believe he fits the bill." At this point she got up and went to the window. "You see," she continued, "there is a prophecy where I come from, a rather old prophecy that says that one day there will be a boy who will come and will save both Earth and my world from a destruction led by one man, and he will be called Dzione, or He Who Will Rise to Conquer Darkness. I think that that boy is you, Harry." She did not look at him.   
"What makes you think that?" asked Harry.   
"Well, for one thing, I know that if Voldemort succeeds in taking over Earth, he will soon be after my world as well. That makes him the man in the prophecy who will attempt to kill us all, Kelohran and human alike. Furthermore, you, Harry, have had dealings with him before, and you and I both know that you have been singled out before because of your scar and because you know him better than anyone--excluding myself and Dumbledore, that is. Thirdly, and my most recent discovery about you, you understood that conversation in the woods, did you not?"  
Harry shrugged, not seeing the significance.  
"We were speaking in the language of my people. You would only have understood it if you were destined to use it. That is the way with our language, and it is one of the reasons it is so safe to use it on Earth."  
Hermione was still having trouble believing this. "So, let's just say for the sake of argument that Harry is this person. He would have to take on Voldemort and beat him all by himself? There's just no way!"   
"Not by himself, apparently. With such loyal friends, I don't think he could go into battle without you two even if he tried.  
"However, you needn't worry. I will be there with him, because there is something else to the prophecy that you need to know about. It has become apparent that a wizard alone cannot beat him, and I cannot do it myself, either."   
"Why not?"  
"Well, it's a little complicated, but if I have this figured right, the only way to beat him would be to combine my powers and those of a wizard."  
"But you just said that the boy—Dzione—would fight him alone."  
"He will."  
"But you just said—"  
"You weren't listening. I said that my powers and the powers of a wizard would be combined. I also said that there was only one person for the job. As to that, there is an ancient Kelohran spell that will enable a Kelohran to forfeit his powers to another person for an indefinite amount of time. Think about it."  
"So… you would have to transfer your powers to Harry? Is that it?"  
"If Harry is indeed Dzione, which I believe very strongly that he is."  
Kentarre let this sink in a bit; the silence absorbed all of what she had said like a sponge in water. She knew, though, that they had been listening. Ron was shaking his head incredulously; his facial expression said 'How did we get ourselves into this mess?'. Harry stared at Kentarre, not really seeing her, wondering almost the same thing. All of his questions had been answered; now all that was left to do was believe. He was struggling with something inside of him that said that all of this was impossible. Yet, there was something else, something deeper that told him that it was real, all of this was true and that he would have to fight for everything, for this castle, for the two people sitting in front of him and all the rest of the people at Hogwarts. And he knew that it was more than that. He would be fighting for the safety of the rest of the world. He had never thought about it that way before. It was almost more than he could handle.  
*I can't do this!* his logic screamed at him. *Why can't I keep from getting involved? Why is this happening to me?* He let this run through his head for a while,and then he looked at Kentarre. "This is serious, isn't it?" he asked, her, realizing how dumb this sounded. "I mean, this is real, right? This isn't just something you made up to scare us, right?" Kentarre shook her head. "No, it's real. Everything I've told you is true. You do believe me, don't you?" Her midnight eyes were searching, almost pleading. Harry mouthed soundlessly like a fish out of water for a moment, lost for words that seemed appropriate. "Well," he floundered, "I, well, that is, um, I... I suppose... I'm trying to..." She simply looked at him, letting him find his feet. He finally said, after a pause, "I think I do. It will take some doing, but I think I could believe you." Hermione looked at him wordlessly, her expression clearly telling him that she was not ready to vouch so easily. Ron still looked undecided for himself, but he looked at Harry gratefully, as if glad that Harry had made the decision for him.  
Kentarre smiled at them and then turned back to the window. "Oh, and there's something else you should know... I almost forgot. You've probably figured this out already, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, called Jycein, is really Learst in disguise."  
  
  
Yeah, I know, I know, not much of a cliffhanger because you knew that already! ;-) But that's okay, this chapter had to end somewhere! 


	12. Second Impressions

Chapter 12: Second Impressions  
  
  
  
  
  
The next few days were a blur for Harry. Kentarre acted and spoke the same way, but she didn't look the same as when he had first met her. For one thing, he now noticed that her skin was paler than anyone else's, and her face was shaped strangely. Everything that set her apart from the rest of the students now waved itself at him like a red flag against a blue sky.  
  
As for the matter that she had spoken to him about, he still remained undecided, though every time Kentarre came within his vision he was reminded of it. She entered his thoughts as well, plaguing him with little rest. His dreams, however, seemed to point him in the direction that he would choose, as if foretelling what he would decide; he dreamt of battle always, of a battle with a boy with auburn hair and golden eyes dressed in black and silver and a man whose skin was green and whose eyes were a burning red. And always there was the familiar figure of Kentarre, standing off to the side somewhere, watching the boy with similar passion on her face to the expression on his.  
  
And then there were Ron and Hermione; Hermione would only discuss it when Kentarre wasn't around, and Ron seemed to be waiting for Harry to decide. When they did discuss it, Hermione held that Harry shouldn't have to do this, that Kentarre could pick someone else for it and be no worse off. Ron, having not made up his mind yet, agreed with just about any point that was brought up. However, when he was asked for his own opinion, he fell silent, mumbling, "Harry should make his own decision." Hermione thought he shouldn't be hasty, that he could take his time, but Harry didn't want to linger too long for fear of going mad with each sighting of the silver headed girl that he had--almost--come to call his friend. She never asked him about it, but she was always there, watching his struggle, waiting, though however discreetly. She didn't talk to anyone much anymore, except when spoken to, and even then her answers were blunted, as though her mind were constantly elsewhere. She spent a lot of time just standing at windows, watching the forest in solitude, her arms folded and her face clearly stating that she was having deep thoughts without revealing what those thoughts were.  
  
As for Kentarre, well, she would be glad wh en her waiting for him to decide was over. Many times her mind screamed at her, *This is stupid! Make him decide now!* But she never did. She couldn't bring herself to force him to make the decision; in fact, she couldn't even pluck up enough to ask him what he had chosen to do, if he had chosen anything. Kentarre kept telling herself, *When he chooses, he will tell me, and I will know. Until then there is nothing I can do, or should do. He has learned all he can from me. This battle he must fight alone.*  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, the only way we'll ever know is if someone can manage to ask him!" Ron pointed out. Hermione replied, "Well, why don't you do it, then, since it was your brilliant idea to come here in the first place!" The two of them came to a halt as Ron sighed in absolute frustration. Harry had told them that he would be walking near the lake. Kentarre, it seemed, was nowhere to be found, and none of them too eager to find her. Ron and Hermione had made it outside, bickering all the way. The lake's frozen gray surface stood out against the snow, and Harry could be seen next to it, standing and staring. Ron and Hermione were just approaching him when a figure emerged from farther off to the right, near the castle wall. It was Kentarre, and she was going to get there first.  
  
"Don't think too hard, Potter," she said with a trace of a laugh. He looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a weak smile. She came up behind him and stood with her long, graceful fingers interlaced at her middle. "If it's any help, Potter, I must say that this is not quite as hopeless as it seems," she began, but Harry cut in. "How?" he asked, his voice desperate. "How is it not as hopeless as it seems? The fate of the planet is in my hands and you say it's not as hopeless as it seems?" She held up a hand. "Let me finish," she told him calmly. "I will not abandon you when the time for battle comes. You will need my help, and I shall give it. Also, you must know that Hermione and Ron intend to march into battle with you, however wise or not that may be. You are not alone, Potter. You are far from alone." There she fell silent, and Harry, not in the mood for much speaking, especially to the person he had been avoiding for a while now, remained silent.  
  
The sun was just rising over the opposite side of the lake, and Kentarre lifted her face to its reddish light. A light breeze blew her bangs from her face, and when she looked over, she saw that Harry's forehead was similarly bared. His lightning-shaped scar darted in and out of sight behind trembling tendrils of hair. The rest of his face, specifically his eyes, looked worn, tired. "You haven't been sleeping well," she told him skeptically. "I know--when you don't sleep, I don't sleep. Your thoughts keep me up." Harry looked at her sharply. "You can hear my thoughts? Can you hear them now?" She shook her head. "No. It's only when you're thinking is louder than everyone else's thinking that I can hear you. See, the way it works is when everybody's thinking at once, all of them combined sound like a lot of soft buzzing, but when they're all silenced, and one person starts thinking again, I can hear that person in particular because they're the only one thinking at the time. Does that make sense?"  
  
Harry, his head spinning from lack of sleep and the explanation he had just been delivered, nodded slowly. She looked away and added, "Not to mention that my thoughts have been following you wherever you go, whether I can hear you or no."  
  
His eyes sought out hers, but they were not looking at him; rather, they seemed far away again, the look that had come into them noticeably often over the past few days. He saw that her face also looked tired, probably almost as bad as his, and he wondered why she stayed up with him.  
  
Suddenly there came a bird cry from up above; a falcon's screech. Kentarre looked up and held out her arm for Nemesis to land on. Harry had seen falconers on television before, and he noticed that they always wore gloves when the falcons were perched on their arms, but Kentarre didn't have one. He dismissed this thought when Kentarre pulled a letter off of the falcon's foot and allowed him to fly away. She untied it and began to read it aloud, her face very grave. "My Liege," she began, "We have found the hideout of which you told us in your letter and we wait for instruction. It is approximately two leagues from the castle, a short distance from our meeting place, but we have visited it only once, for fear of being discovered dare we venture there again. Your eternal servant, Nazo." She looked up and turned around to find Ron and Hermione right behind Harry, their faces warily watching hers. She smiled and folded the letter, placing it in her pocket. "Guess it's time we were on the move, then," she said cheerfully, and then she started back up toward the castle, whistling. Ron watched her incredulously. "What's gotten into her?" he asked, confused. "What's so bloody good about that?" Harry shrugged, but in his mind that he knew very well what had gotten into Kentarre. If he was correct, the letter had just said that Kentarre had told those people about the place in his dream, and they had found it. Now Kentarre was going to go there and check it out, and that's what she was happy about. He watched her slender, retreating figure with a kind of wonder on his face. Then he sighed, and Hermione asked him what was wrong.  
  
Harry looked at her suddenly, as if it was the first time he had seen her in a long time, and he said, "It's nothing." But his eyes didn't quite stick with that.  
  
The three of them went back up to the castle. Since it was Saturday today, there would still be time before the rest of the castle was up. Kentarre had apparently gone off somewhere else to think, and the three of them had no desire to see her again so soon, so they went off to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
Kentarre, however, had not gone off somewhere else to think. She had started straight for Dumbledore's office, and now she stood right outside it. She gave the password, but the gargoyle remained stiff and quite dead- looking. She growled. Dumbledore had apparently changed the password. Reaching her gloved left hand up, she touched the gargoyle's horned forehead with two bare fingers. After a pause, the gargoyle's eyes lit up and he stepped aside. "I-I didn't know it was you, ma'am," he apologized. "I'm very very sorry. It won't happen again, I promise--"  
  
"It's all right, just step aside," she told it, and as she walked past him, it straightened as best it could and said, "Yes, ma'am."  
  
Dumbledore's office door looked different, somehow. She felt the symbol on her left hand tingling, and she immediately knew that some kind of Kelohra was at work here. She put her right hand on the doorknob, intending to go right on in, but she received a shock--literally. Once she touched the brass knob, a wave of sharp pain flew up her arm. She cried out and let go, a string of vehement curses escaping her lips. It took a few moments for the pain to subside, dulling into nothing, and Kentarre looked for some way to get around the door and into the office. She then heard a kind of mumbling from inside the room, and there came following a cry of pain that sounded like Dumbledore! She didn't want to shout, for fear of letting whoever it was inside know she was out here, but as she was thinking fast, a cruel laugh came from inside. "It's a new feeling, isn't it, Dumbledore?" said a cold voice that Kentarre knew only too well. "That feeling of subordinacy that you forced upon me from the minute you declared yourself my enemy! Do you like your new position? You'll die in it!"  
  
Kentarre could stand it no longer. *Kaeru's got Dumbledore!* her mind screamed at her. *I've got to do something!!* Her reason shouted back, *But there's no way for me to get in there!* Then an idea came to her. *I'll get in the same way that he got in!*  
  
The silver headed girl, eyes ablaze, then rushed down the moving stairs, taking them three at a time. She got to the closest classroom and went in, emanating blue light as she went. When she got in, she was Zorensei, and there was no time to lose. Now that Kaeru could sense her, she had to be fast. She didn't stop running as she went to the window and dove straight through the glass, flying upward to avoid the shards. She found the window that belonged to Dumbledore's office in no time--it was the one that poured green light--and she flew right up to it, throwing caution to the winds.  
  
She expected to see Kaeru standing over a cowering Dumbledore; she expected to hear sounds of pain muffled by the half-inch of glass between them; she didn't, however, expect to see the light coming from Dumbledore himself or to feel the pain herself. The lightning blue rings on her left hand burned as they never had, and she felt as though her very blood were churning and frothing inside her. All in all, it was quite unpleasant, and Zorensei very nearly fell out of the air. However, years and years of hard training had paid off. She managed to keep afloat, hovering there and watching Dumbledore watching her. Finally she gathered the strength to fling open the window with her right hand and throw herself into the room. The pain, if anything, intensified as she entered, but one thought echoed in her mind- -*I must save Dumbledore!* For she could tell that this was not Dumbledore's doing alone. This was surely Kaeru's interference, though how he had done it she couldn't guess.  
  
Dumbledore slowly approached her, making the pain rise in a horrific crescendo. Panting, she did the only thing that she knew would work-- physically overpower the old man. Indeed, just as he grabbed for her throat, she wrestled with his arms, pushing them away from herself and pinning them at his sides. He, with surprising agility, sidekicked her legs out from under her, but she had already begun the work. When he went to throw her back out the window, she released the magic, putting nearly everything she had into dispersing Kaeru's treachery.  
  
It worked, but not soon enough. Now Kentarre, she was too weak from the pain and the effort, and could not bring herself to stop her fall. She plummeted towards the lawn, bracing herself for the contact--that never came. She miraculously slowed and hovered just feet above the ground. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that it was not quite miraculous; Dumbledore's torso hung out of his window, his wand arm extended towards her with his wand clenched in his fingers. She reached out and touched the ground on her hands and knees, and she felt the magic lift off of her gently. Her arms trembled for a bit, and then she collapsed panting on the grass.  
  
Just moments later she heard incoming impacts on the ground, and she looked up and saw Dumbledore approaching her at a swift pace. She tried to get up, but all she could manage was to lift her head.  
  
Dumbledore bent and began to help her to her feet, his face the picture of concern. She waved him off and went the rest of the way, gradually working her exhausted body into what resembled an upright position. She winced a few times as she kinked a few places that were still tender from the extremity of the pain she had felt. Wordlessly, the old man held out his arm for Kentarre to hold onto, and she looked at it for a minute before grudgingly taking it.  
  
Once inside the front doors, Kentarre realized that they would not get to Dumbledore's office without being seen. There were all manner of students milling around inside the Entrance Hall, and the two of them had attracted the attention of all. Several people stared at Kentarre, whose robes were tattered and ripped and whose face was an image of complete exhaustion. She ignored them all with as much dignity as she could muster, and Dumbledore--well, Dumbledore was used to being stared at. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had been talking nearby, now began following the pair of them in silence.  
  
It seemed to take an eternity to reach an empty hall, but when they did, Kentarre murmured softly, "To your office, Dumbledore. I'm not going to that hospital wing of yours." The headmaster nodded, apparently thinking this prudent.  
  
When they arrived in Dumbledore's office at last, Kentarre eased herself into a chair and sighed. Dumbledore took the seat behind his desk, and the other three stood a few feet behind Kentarre. Once she caught her breath, Kentarre began to speak. "Kaeru... he's the one behind this, I know it. And if he got Dumbledore, there's no way that any of the rest of you are safe. And I can't protect you."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, Kentarre, that certainly wasn't the beginning. Perhaps you should start over. Who is Kaeru?" She nodded. "Kaeru is the one you call Voldemort. You see--no, there's too much. Kaeru used to b e one of our number, a--what's the word for it?--Celestial Warrior, as you would say it in your language. Well, needless to say, he was fascinated with Earth and wanted to become human himself. He used the weapon I had given him when he joined us to change himself into a human and then went to Earth. However, because he had to turn himself into a human using the weapon, he couldn't take it with him because only Kelohran hands can take it off my world. He, while on Earth, learned magic and placed all manner of spells on himself, attempting to make himself immortal, thus making himself better than Kelohrans and humans. He became what he is today, the one you call Lord Voldemort." She paused here and then continued. "I don't know how we're ever going to withstand him now that he--" Here she stopped, and Dumbledore gave her a swift, calculating look. "Continue," he prompted, but she appeared not to have heard him.  
  
Kentarre was staring at her gloved left hand. Harry couldn't see the expression on her face, so he moved toward her. Her black eyes were wide and her jaw was tense. He asked, "What's wrong?" She looked up at him. "Now that he's got the one thing that could stand against me," she finished in a quiet voice. Harry was nonplussed, and he was sure his face showed it. "He's got his weapon back," she said self-scoldingly. "He's got the one thing that could stop me from killing him in his pocket--and I know exactly how he got it," she continued, her tone getting angry. Apparently Dumbledore sensed this and said sharply, "Calm yourself, Kentarre. Even if you were strong enough to kill him now, I wouldn't allow it. Not in Hogwarts. Not now."  
  
At this Kentarre looked almost sulky, and she grumbled, "All right. I'll watch my step. But if he doesn't stay out of my way, I'll kill him. End of discussion." Dumbledore gave her that piercing stare that he usually reserved for Harry, and then he nodded slowly. "I suppose that you should be the one to bring justice to him," said the headmaster, though his eyes were sad. "However," he continued, "I do request that you do this without the sight of other students. They do not need to be subject to that, and though they do not know who you are, their innocence remains." Kentarre nodded. "Fair enough."  
  
Harry hadn't been listening much, since he already knew this, but now that there was a break, he cut in. "All right," he said, "now that all that's cleared up, let's move on to more recent happenings. Why was Kentarre lying on the grass and how did she get there?" Dumbledore said with a wry smile in Kentarre's direction, "I think she can answer that. It just wouldn't sound right, coming from me." Kentarre shot him a playful glare before meeting Harry's questioning gaze with a cool one of her own. "Kaeru got a hold of his weapon, and apparently he's been getting bolder. He used it on Dumbledore, and it worked quite marvelously. You see, Kaeru's weapon's sole purpose is change--be it change from cold to hot, poor to rich, or good to evil."  
  
Kentarre then proceeded to tell them everything that had happened after she found that she couldn't get into Dumbledore's office, skipping lightly over her descriptions of the pain she had felt. When she finished, there was that silence that often followed the clarification of events. Dumbledore asked Harry, "Does that quench your curiosity?" When Harry nodded, he continued, "Then I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now. Kentarre and I have things to discuss."  
  
Hermione and Ron had already begun heading for the door, and now Harry followed them. The green-eyed boy had a sinking feeling that he'd only been given the shortened version of the facts, that there were still gaps in the great story behind the mysterious girl called Kentarre by some, Zorensei by others.  
  
Harry did not see Kentarre again that day, except when he returned to the common room later that evening; she was standing by the window, fingering the silken ropes that strung her black drawstring bag that held her pipes. Indeed, when he went up to bed, she had not moved, but she had taken the pipes out. When Harry left, there were about seven people, including Kentarre, left, but as he went up the stairs, he heard the pipes' playing singing up at him. This surprised him. *Kentarre's never played for anyone but us,* he thought. *Well, or at least I've never heard her play for anyone else. But maybe she has when we're not around.* He went a little ways back down the stairs and sat down to listen. It was the same melody that he had heard Zorensei singing down on the snowy Hogwarts grounds.  
  
Suddenly, something went through Harry's head that he would never see again, nor be able to explain. He saw a very large house, a manor, made entirely of stone and set in the side of a forested mountain. Then, as if he were flying closer from above, he saw a girl sitting on the roof near a turret. The girl looked familiar, though she was dressed in a kind of ceremonial ecclesiastical robe, with many overpieces and sashes and cords. Yet, it was Kentarre, and her face was uplifted, though he knew she could not see him, and she was singing softly to herself. Her lips moved, though Harry heard no sound, and the song that Kentarre now played on her pipes corresponded with the Kentarre on the roof's mouthings.  
  
Then Harry was left staring at Kentarre, sitting on the steps that went to the boys' dormitory. She sat there, blowing softly on her pipes as the song finished. When she lifted them finally from her lips, she locked eyes with Harry and held them; the expression in her eyes was peaceful, and Harry immediately knew, though he couldn't tell how, that she knew all that he had seen. Suddenly, Harry had no more need for debate; he knew what he would do. Something told him that he had just seen the world that Kentarre came from, and that Kentarre very much wanted that world to stay the same. Some remote corner of Harry's consciousness still protested, *But why should you help her? She's done nothing but lie to you all year.* And Harry countered, *I know, but she's not so different from us, and there are other people who live on her world besides her. She needs my help, and who am I to refuse? Besides, Voldemort's coming whether I decide to fight him or not, and he'll come after me, so I'll end up coming against him anyway. What choice have I got?*  
  
With this last, Harry broke the connection between his green eyes and the pair of black ones, which watched him still, and he resolutely went the rest of the way up the stairs to bed, feeling that a great burden had passed to him from the girl that had only seconds before told him more than he had heard since he met her.  
  
* * *  
  
Kentarre's eyes told him that she knew this already. Harry wasn't sure what he expected her reaction to be, but this would do, he guessed. It certainly seemed to suit Kentarre, for she looked at him with calm, steady eyes in an expression that said the-world's-end-couldn't-shake-me. Kentarre, after a pause, nodded. "Very well, Potter. Meet me by the front doors tomorrow morning at four thirty, and we'll talk." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, surely you'll do more than talk, if it has to be four thirty in the morning. No conversation takes that long." Kentarre smiled that mysterious smile at her. "Very good, Hermione. Yes, we'll do more than talk, but you'll have to be on time to find out what else." She smiled sweetly and walked away, and Harry groaned. "Four thirty! And when exactly do I get time to sleep?" Hermione smiled. "Well, you'll just have to go to bed early, won't you?" she told them, and Ron and Harry looked at each other doubtfully. Ron asked him, "You plan to go alone, do you? Well, I can tell you, I don't fancy getting up before dawn, so I'll give you that luxury--just this once." There was a pause, and then the red- headed boy added, "It's only because my curiosity isn't all that strong so early in the morning!"  
  
Harry then told him, for almost no reason at all that he could tell, "No, I think she means me to be there by myself. That something else that's going to happen is just for me, I think." Hermione and Ron gave him odd looks, but Harry couldn't very well explain what he had just said anymore than he could read Kentarre's mind, so he just let it lie.  
  
That night, Harry did say that he was going to turn in early, but what he really wanted was some time alone to think, so he got into his pajamas and sat by the window doing just that. He was just getting into the thinking part when a tap on the window woke him from his reverie. It was Kentarre-- or rather, Zorensei, and she was floating near the window, looking in at him. He made no move to let her in, but instead looked away from the window. A flash of blue light from the window caught his eye, and when he looked back, he saw that the window was open and Kentarre was now inside, sitting across from him on the long windowseat. She looked at him for a moment, and he grew uncomfortable and looked away. "You're trying not to be angry with me," she said after a pause, and he looked back up and met her eyes. "What makes you think that?" he asked her, trying not to look guilty.  
  
She smiled at him. "Your eyes told me. Besides, why else would you avoid me like this?" Harry thought about this, and realized that he hadn't really thought about being angry with her, but rather it was natural. He said after a moment, "Well, I guess it's because this is all new to me, and I haven't really gotten used to the fact that the fate of the world now rests on my shoulders..." His voice took on a tone of self-mocking, and Kentarre said sharply, "No, it doesn't, Harry." Harry locked eyes with her. It was the first time that he could remember her calling him by his first name.  
  
"It doesn't because there are certain steps you have to take first, and I have to be there with you. You aren't alone. We'll do this together. I promise. However, I can't promise that nothing will go wrong; no plan is entirely foolproof, not even Voldemort's. You know, he thinks he's ready to attack the castle. He seems to have gathered a bit of an army, and he thinks they're strong enough to take us out. I must admit, they're very strong and very clever, but we have a weapon that not even they can beat-- trust. They can't beat it because they don't use it. My point is this, boy: no matter what happens, you are never the only one left."  
  
Harry then remembered something. "Kentarre," he began, "you said something in Dumbledore's office that day, when you got hurt. You said that even Dumbledore couldn't withstand Voldemort, that none of us were safe anymore, and that you couldn't protect us. What did you mean?" Kentarre took a deep breath and said slowly, "Harry, what I meant was that Kaeru could use his weapon against any of us and I couldn't get near you while you were under his influence and that I could never know which one of you he would use it on next. I may be very old and very smart, but I'm not a genius, I'm not a miracle worker and I'm not a mind-reader. I can't make all of this go away. If I could, I wouldn't be here, and there would be such a thing as world peace." Kentarre paused then, and her eyes wandered to the window, to the moon floating just above the trees of the Forbidden Forest. There was something in her eyes that Harry couldn't read and couldn't describe, but it seemed to come from deep within her, a part of her that Harry didn't even know existed. It also seemed to him that this something came from the same part of her that the vision of her home that she had sent him had come, and though he couldn't read it, he knew that Kentarre was happy with it, which gave him another reason to go with her through the battle. She wanted to keep that something, and he couldn't even describe it, much less bring himself to take it away from her.  
  
Kentarre looked up at him and broke the silence. "You've been thinking a lot, haven't you? I'm sorry that I had to put you through all of this in such a sloppy manner, but we had to get through this, you understand. Battle is brewing in Voldemort's eyes, and when he decides to come, none will stop him from coming until he is on the front steps. We have to be ready, and that will take enough time as it is." Harry met her eyes, which were burning black. "You saw his hideout?" he asked her, as if just coming to that. "Yes," she said without hesitation. "I saw it. I saw what he's hiding in it. All of what you saw in your dream is true--and much worse than that." Here she stiffened, as if determined not to say anymore. Then she stood and said, "I suppose you and I should get some sleep now. Don't forget." She gave him one last look, and Harry saw in that look volumes of gratitude. *She's thanking me,* he thought. *Well, I suppose she should.*  
  
And then she was gone out the window, and the lock clicked behind her. Harry also rose, and then he went over to his bed, set his glasses on the nightstand, climbed in, and was soon asleep.  
  
Kentarre, meanwhile, flew up to the roof and stood on the top of the Gryffindor tower, looking off into the distance without seeing anything at all. *He's still not with me,* she thought to herself. *And once he learns what he has to do, I wonder if he'll ever really join me? I can't force him; that I cannot and will not do. What can I say? What can I do?* These and other questions ran through her head as, after many hours passed, the sky began to lighten to a whitish-grey. Kentarre, who had been dozing, woke herself and shook off the dew that had gathered during the night. She took a deep breath of the cold morning air and jumped off the roof, gathering speed as she went down. After a few stories had passed, she began to slow herself, until she came floating down to the ground, landing softly on the frosty turf. She then walked smoothly over to the front doors to wait for the boy.  
  
Harry showed up some minutes later, bleary-eyed and tousle-haired. His glasses were on crooked, and it took all the self-control that Kentarre had to resist laughing. "Well, come on then," she said in a let's-get-to-work tone. He grunted sleepily and followed her out onto the frost-bitten lawn, past Hagrid's cabin to the frozen lake, and then around to the other side. There she stopped and turned to face him. "All right, then, without further ado, I'm going to talk and you are going to listen and pay attention." She gave him a stern look that was on a completely different level than Professor McGonagall's, and Harry got the point.  
  
Kentarre cleared her throat and said, "There are a few steps we'll have to go through to prepare ours elves for the fight against Kaeru. It will be hard on both of us, and I'm not sure how you will take this, so I'm just going to tell you. I have to transfer all of my powers to you." Here she paused and prompted Harry with her gaze to say something. He scratched his chin and said, "Yeah, you said something about that earlier, but I didn't know it would be like that." Then he froze and added, "Wait, your powers are going to be transferred to me? All of them?"  
  
"All of them. It has to be that way."  
  
"But, why couldn't I transfer my powers or whatever to you? I mean, why can't you do this?"  
  
"Harry, I have already been taught in the ways of Kelohra. I cannot change now. I have gone too far, you see."  
  
"Then why couldn't you transfer them to Dumbledore? His powers are more advanced than mine, and the combination would be stronger!"  
  
"Same reason. He'd never be able to get used to not using a wand, anyway."  
  
"So it has to be me?"  
  
"That's right. Now, I told you I had found a Kelohran spell that will work for this kind of thing. However, as was to be expected, I suppose, there is no guarantee. You may be stuck with my powers forever or only a few hours. Your guess is as good as mine, pal."  
  
"But... if I get stuck with your powers forever, then you'll never be able to use magic again!"  
  
"We'll have to take that chance."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Look at it this way. What choice have we got? Our options are few, and we're wasting time."  
  
"Okay, so what's next?"  
  
"Well, after the transfer of power, you'll have to be taught how to use them together efficiently. You know, the basics; flight, kie, shield, invisibility, magic attacks, that sort of thing."  
  
"What's kie?"  
  
"It's what you might call a power-up. It happens when I turn into Zorensei."  
  
Harry had just been wondering about that. *Who will I turn into? And since Zorensei looks different from Kentarre, will the way I look also change?* Kentarre was looking at him pensively. After he returned her gaze, she continued. "I don't expect you to understand all of this, so all I want you to do is listen." Harry looked directly into her steady gaze, but he couldn't hold it there for long, because her eyes were just so penetrating, so all-seeing, he almost had no choice but to look away. She went on, "I don't expect this endeavor to be easy for you. You may even find it to be harder than anything you've ever done, but all I ask is that you trust me through it all. It will all go a lot smoother for both of us if you do, and once it's over, well... let's just see where it takes us. Are you with me?"  
  
Harry couldn't really bring himself to answer her question. His mind had given over to deep thinking, and the subject matter was very important to him. No one had spoken to him like that, softly, without command or order, in a long time. Dumbledore used a tone that was similar to that, but his was more... reasoning. Kentarre's voice was almost pleading with him, and yet at the same time she seemed to be comforting him, telling him that though it may not come out all right, they could at least try with all they could muster. It was such a maternal tone that Harry wanted to stand here and listen to that voice forever.  
  
But he knew that he couldn't do that. He looked up at her and saw that her eyes hadn't left him throughout all of this. For a moment, Harry thought he saw a flash of color in her coal black eyes, a dash of the rainbow. Then the flash was gone, and he was left staring at her staring at him. He said hesitantly, "I... I think I am." He stopped and looked back at the castle, thinking of Ron and Hermione. What if they disagreed with him? What if he was left with only Kentarre and Dumbledore as his friends and supporters? How many enemies was he going to have to face if he made this decision?  
  
But Harry wasn't ready to give up. He squared himself and faced the girl standing at his left. "I'll do it," he announced, and he saw her eyes flash exultation. She gave him a grateful smile, and then she started walking back towards the castle. She said over her shoulder in a dry tone, "Now all we have to do is make sure you don't get yourself killed between now and next Thursday!" Harry jogged to catch up with her. "What's next Thursday?" he asked her. She replied, "It's the next new moon. There has to be no moon in the sky."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because that's how it has to be." She began to run, and Harry, recognizing the challenge, obligingly let her beat him back to the castle.  
  
* * *  
  
"Next Thursday, is it?" asked Hermione. Harry said, "She said it had something to do with the new moon." He shrugged. Ron said, "Well, I'm still a little muddled about this whole business, but if you say you'll do it, Harry, I'll be right behind you." Hermione nodded her agreement, though her eyes still spoke her objections. "I still don't see why it has to be you," she said. Harry told her, "Well, it's going to be me, so that really doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it's just my bad luck acting up again."  
  
But Harry didn't really think that all of this had anything to do with luck. In fact, it seemed that Kentarre's eyes, while still remaining unfathomably calm, reminded him why it had to be him. And while Thursday crept slowly forward, Harry found that his mind often wandered to nowhere at all, placing him in a very bad state for Snape's Potions lessons. Harry's potions, no matter how easy they seemed or how exactly he followed the directions, never seemed to come out just how Snape wanted them. And Snape, sensing with that unsettling ability of his that something was up, wasn't making things easier. He always had a smirk on his face when it was Harry's potion being examined, and he always seemed to come up with the most scalding remark possible. "Your potion seems to be lacking some degree of color, Potter," he observed in a voice that dripped with cruel amusement. "Perhaps we are having trouble following instructions? Did I not clearly state that four pinches of ground kappa scales were to be used, and no less? Unsatisfactory, Potter, very unsatisfactory." Harry could not bring himself to say anything, for he knew from experience that the very second he opened his mouth, no matter what he was going to say, Snape would call it cheek and take away points.  
  
As for Kentarre, well, he didn't notice her much anymore. Sure, she was there always, but she no longer seemed to demand his attention. She didn't speak much to him, but she followed him around the corridors, partially because they had the same classes and partially because, well, that's what she had been doing all through the year, and she wasn't going to stop now. Besides, she joked, she had to keep him alive long enough to make it through the week, but Harry wasn't quite sure what it was that was trying to kill him.  
  
For Kentarre, this week passed slowly enough, thank you very much. She didn't speak much; but then, she was never handy with words, and she usually kept her mouth shut anyway. However, she now spent her lunch hours in Dumbledore's office. When she was spoken to, she gave vague answers, as if she understood, but wasn't really listening, and if one were to inspect her face at random hours of the day, they might've detected traces of agitation. Kentarre was not fond of idle waiting, but her training had made her wise and developed for her some patience, so she kept reminding herself that compared to the time she had waited to finally do away with Kaeru, this was small business. Still, she absolutely could not stand all this waiting!  
  
Her one consolation was watching Harry. She often found herself staring at him, though he seldom noticed. *He'll do just fine,* she told herself. *I think I've finally convinced him, and he's got his own reasons now.* This seemed to settle her seething thoughts for a bit, though it wasn't long before she again felt like pacing holes in the floor.  
  
Her conversations with Dumbledore were often quite lengthy and not always relevant to the crisis at hand. Nonetheless, Kentarre enjoyed having someone to talk to who was on her level of thinking; she didn't normally enjoy having someone to talk to at all. Dumbledore, however, was different. His eyes reminded her of one of her friends back home, but his humor was unlike anyone else's. But the part she liked most was all that she learned from him. He was almost always willing to share his knowledge of the particulars of wizardry, and Kentarre found this helpful, because all in all she hadn't learned much about that from the teachers here. She knew that having rather extensive knowledge about wizardry, and even more knowledge of Harry's peculiarities, would help in the long run in teaching him how Kelohra was different and how to use it efficiently.  
  
In a nutshell, it wasn't entirely a bad week--from certain points of view. Harry's Potions grades were rapidly looking worse, and Hermione ridiculed him often, telling him that if he needed help with something, all he had to do was say so. But how could he tell her that he didn't know what it was that kept his mind off of whatever it was supposed to be focusing on? A few times he tried to bring into focus those places where his mind went when it was wandering aimlessly, but all he got was a dull ache in his temples and someone telling him he didn't look well. He wondered once if he should be worried about this, but then, he reminded himself, he was probably just feeling nervous--after all, Thursday was but three days ahead. He considered telling someone, but what would he say? Harry personally thought it best if he kept his mouth shut until it blew over.  
  
So he did.  
  
*A few hours before dawn, Thursday*  
  
Kentarre had that feeling again; the feeling that even if she had tried to sleep, the feat would've proved itself quite impossible. So now she sat, alone and enjoying it, under the stars in the tree that she had chosen to spend the night. From up in the topmost branches, she had quite a clear view of both the sunrise and the Gryffindor tower window. A cool breeze played across her pale cheeks; the night was almost perfect. Kentarre suppressed a sigh and closed her eyes. *I won't fail,* she told herself and whoever else might be listening. *I can't. Too much depends on my success... and his.* Her eyes opened themselves, two glittering black spheres in the whiteness of her upturned face. She almost wished a storm would come up, just so she could ride it out in this tree.  
  
Suddenly, from the recesses of her mind, a whispering voice came unbidden. "Kentarre," it said, "thou must trust the boy." The girl with silver hair lowered her chin. She answered with her own thought, "I hear thee. This thought hath occurred to me, your Greatness, but art thou certain we canst trust our fate to one so unbelieving?"  
  
The voice took on a new tone, one with a hint of amusement. "Kentarre, my servant, canst you think of no one of whom the boy expresses likeness?" Kentarre's lips showed a trace of a smile. "I understand now. Thy words are a comfort, my Guide and Supplier of Life, and an honor. I thank thee."  
  
"Thou hast served me well. Farewell, my most loyal servant. I shall not be far." The voice then left her, and Kentarre was left with a sense of security and peace. And, as if to prove her correct, the sky showed its first signs of lightening. Thus the day began, finding the girl who was not of this Earth with much confidence in her heart.  
  
*A few hours later, when Harry was just waking*  
  
Harry awoke after experiencing a rather strange dream. Images had flashed before his mind like a collage; one minute he saw Kentarre standing on the stone roof of the alien world, the next he was in a dark place filled with shadows that seethed and writhed just behind his line of sight, and the next he was standing next to the boy with hair that was tinted red and gold eyes that seemed to penetrate all in his battle against a man with greenish skin whose mere presence reeked of evil. And then there had been a new scene, one of fear and tense anxiety, where many people with blurred faces sat in a single large room and awaited their fate while something important happened elsewhere. They seemed to waver in and out of sight, as if they were not quite invisible.  
  
He sat in bed and considered this dream for a while before realizing that his meeting with Kentarre was scheduled to begin in exactly seven minutes. He slid his glasses onto his face, pulled on a black school robe over his pajamas and went downstairs.  
  
When he got outside, Kentarre wasn't anywhere in sight, so he went down the steps a ways to wait. Presently, there was a whooshing sound, and Kentarre dived down at him from somewhere in the sky. She slowed and landed beside him with a cheery, "Good morning." Harry was unable to speak. Kentarre looked as though she had been flying through bushes. Her hair was ruffled and sported a few leaves and twigs, and her robes were wrinkled and likewise decorated. When Harry was quite certain that if he opened his mouth he wouldn't laugh out loud, he said, "Been keeping busy?" The girl, her breathing excited, nodded.  
  
After Kentarre had been given time to catch her breath, she stood and removed the remaining clinging leaves from her garments and mane. "Well," she said briskly, "shall we begin?" Harry looked up at her, his expression pensive. After a moment, having seemingly come to a sort of conclusion, Harry also stood, saying, "All right." Kentarre then placed him under direct scrutiny. "Well, you're a bit scrawny, but that can be fixed. All right, come with me." Then she strode off in the direction of the forest, with Harry coming behind her at a slow jog.  
  
After they entered the forest a ways, Harry puffed, "Where are we going?" Kentarre replied without looking at him, "We need objects to work with, and besides, you haven't properly met my warriors." This startled Harry, but he had no choice other than to follow her.  
  
They reached the familiar clearing in better time than they had when they first came here. Kentarre emerged out of the brush quite unceremoniously and then she halted abruptly, almost making Harry collide with her. He saw over the rather broad shoulder in front of him that all five people that had been there were there now, and all of them were standing. Not quite in unison, they bowed to Kentarre, muttering something. Harry saw that they wore rather nondescript clothing, some of it badly mismatched, but their faces were the same. Kentarre inclined her head at them, and then she began to speak to them. "I will speak to you in English so the boy can understand. This is Harry Potter," she gestured behind her at Harry, who moved out from behind her so they could see him. "He is the one who will help us, and he is at last ready." The warriors all inclined their heads at Harry. Then one of them, dressed all in brown, stepped forward. He said in a tone that was almost reverent, "I am Nazo. I am honored to finally meet you, Harry Potter." The others all introduced themselves in a similar way, being Kesshin, the girl in the red-colored garment, Ukeire, another girl dressed in yellow, Hanji, a man in a deep purple, and Tanoshimi, the last man garbed in green. After they had all introduced themselves, Kentarre turned to Harry. "These are my Celestial Warriors. They have waited just as long as I have for you, and I think they are pleased."  
  
Harry's eyes traveled across each one's face, finally coming back to Kentarre. Finding no words to say that even sounded right in his head, he merely nodded. Then Kentarre turned back to the group of five. "The boy and I shall go apart now. We'll keep in touch." Then she began to walk back the way they had come, saying, "Coming, Potter?"  
  
They went back a ways into the forest, and then Kentarre stopped. Looking around her, she said in approval, "This'll do." Then she turned to face Harry. "Before we begin, I want you to ask me any questions you might have." Harry looked at her, and then asked sheepishly, "Uh, what are we going to do now?" She chuckled. "We're going to see how well you can manage your thoughts." Harry thought that this didn't really answer his question, but the twinkle in her eye told him that this was all the answer he was going to get.  
  
Then, without another word, Kentarre went over and picked up a rather medium-sized and unremarkable rock. She placed it at Harry's feet and said, "All right. Examine the stone from where you stand. Fix its image in your mind." Harry looked down at the stone and etched its details into his memory. "Now close your eyes and hold the image." He did. "Now, roll the stone over in your mind. Without opening your eyes, tell me what you see on the underside."  
  
This was far harder than Harry had expected. How was he supposed to know what the underside of the stone looked like? Dubiously, the stone in Harry's mind rolled over, but the flipside looked exactly the same as the top! Kentarre said sharply, "No. You can't do this if you think too much. I want you to relax; don't think about what the underside looks like, just roll it over and see! Do it again." So Harry did it again; several times, in fact, but it never seemed to be any different. Kentarre, however, wouldn't let him give up. "You have to relax," she told him. "That's the only way it will work. Just clear your mind and see."  
  
Harry reset himself and put the image of the stone in his mind. Trying with all his might not to think about what the underside might look like, he gave the rock a gentle push. It rolled, and Kentarre whispered, "Freeze!" The image in Harry's mind did just that, and then she asked him, "What do you see?" Harry examined more closely the flipside of the rock, and he saw that it was indeed different from the top. "It's got moss and dirt all over it," he described, "and there's two cracks, one on the left and one coming up from the bottom." Kentarre whispered, "Open your eyes." He did, and he saw that Kentarre had flipped the rock over, revealing the rock's dirty and cracked underside. Astonishingly, it looked exactly like he had seen it! He looked at Kentarre in surprise and saw that she was smiling at him. "Very good, Potter. Very good."  
  
Then Harry saw something that he couldn't have explained even if he had tried, but it seemed to him that as Kentarre smiled at him, someone else smiled as well, someone who seemed to be trying to occupy the same space that Kentarre was. The other someone's face appeared just behind Kentarre's, but before Harry could realize this, it was gone, and there was no one but Kentarre.  
  
They tried a few more similar exercises until Harry could get in on his third try. After that, Kentarre led the way back to the castle where several students were already up. "If anyone asks, you were out walking and you met me on the way back to the castle. It's best if they don't think we were out together." Harry privately agreed, but he had a feeling that his reasons were different than Kentarre's. If Malfoy found out that they were having early-morning excursions, Harry wouldn't hear the end of it for quite some time.  
  
Well, that part of the explanation was easier for Kentarre than it was for Harry. For one thing, no one usually had anything to say to Kentarre, and for another, whenever Kentarre was in a crowded room, she often could be seen wearing a scowl, thereby discouraging anyone from striking up a conversation. For Harry, on the other hand, it was not so simple. Fred and George were up now, and they both inquired as to Harry's whereabouts earlier in the morning. "You know, it's such a coincidence that you and Kentarre both came in at the same time," said Fred sarcastically. "Yes," agreed George, "one would almost think that you were out together, but that simply couldn't be it, could it?" Harry said, "Well, no, that's not it. Actually, I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, and, er, I went for a walk, and I, er, met Kentarre just as I was coming back in." Fred put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Right, Harry," he said teasingly, "we believe you. Well, we'd better be getting down to breakfast before it's all gone. See you!" With that, the twins started for the portrait hole, stopping long enough to glance at Kentarre and then wink in Harry's direction. Ron rolled his eyes. Then Hermione said, "So, Harry, what really happened out there?" Harry then relayed as best he could without sounding totally loony the events of the morning.  
  
While they talked in lowered voices, the common room cleared as other students went off to lunch. It was Ron who finally pointed this out, and the three of them then likewise headed for the Great Hall.  
  
The Great Hall was surprisingly still full of people, though the mail had already come and many of them were finished. The three of them sat down and scrounged for breakfast, stuffing themselves with what they could find before the bell rang. Kentarre was nowhere in sight, but that didn't seem to bother any of them.  
  
When the monotonous shuffle to class began, the trio moved on in silence, each one's mind in a different place than the other two. The day promised to be a rather long one, and indeed, it seemed an eternity before even the first class was over. As it turned out, they were given a rather large load of homework, but it only occurred to Ron to complain about it, which he did to some considerable extent. Harry's mind flitted around as if it desired to be anywhere but the castle. It seemed as though images flashed before his mind, but they blurred away from him like reflections in a rippling pond as soon as he attempted to focus them.  
  
The day seemed to slow even more, gradually, almost unnoticeably coming to a crawl. Then, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, the last class of the day, everything came to a stop.  
  
Harry had been trying to hold onto what Professor Jycein was saying to copy down for notes when suddenly a voice spoke to him from the front of his mind, holding all of his attention. *Harry* it said in a cold, sibilant voice *you think that by joining with that alien that you will not lose against me? There is only one way that you can protect your friends, and that is by coming to me. With me you shall come to no harm. Can Kentarre promise you that?* Then there came a pause, a terrible pause in which Harry's mind reeled; he felt as though he were under scrutiny by many pairs of eyes, and then suddenly he found himself alone in an empty room. He attempted to shake himself, to somehow bring himself back to the present. He needed something to think about, something to focus on, but there was nothing to grab onto. He struggled like this for a moment before he realized that he was hearing something, another voice, familiar somehow. It said, "No, no, no. You have to relax. Don't think about the other side, just roll it over and look!" As he was marveling about this, an image came into his mind; a small stone by his feet, and another pair of feet not far away. *The stone,* he thought. *I have to roll it over.* He set himself to do this, but there seemed to be something in his way. The stone in his mind was blocked by something, and Harry could not get through it. He tried again to do what Kentarre had told him, to roll the stone over without thinking at all, but that thing blocking it was compelling him to think. Harry tried again and failed. He suddenly felt as though he was beating himself up against an impenetrable wall. *This is impossible!* he thought after his fifth try. That familiar voice spoke to him again. "No, it isn't. All you have to do is brush the thoughts away. The only thing that will accomplish this is your willpower." Harry considered this, but as he pondered, the wall seemed to grow stronger and even more impregnable, and as its strength grew, suddenly Harry became aware that the scar on his forehead was burning with an unquenchable fire. Then Harry, driven by the pain, attempted with his mind to go around the wall instead of through it. Suddenly, his way was free, and the stone rolled over, revealing the flipside with its dirt and moss and two spidery cracks.  
  
"Harry! Harry, wake up!" Harry started and hit his knee on the underside of his desk. The fingers in his right hand ached, and he realized that he had been gripping the edges of the desk with a grip like death, while the other hand remained firmly attached to his forehead. He untangled his sore fingers to find Hermione staring at him with concern in her eyes. Ron was by her side, and his face was ashy. "Are you all right, Harry?" asked the red-headed boy. Harry asked no one in particular, "What happened? Where'd everybody go?" He looked around, seeing the class empty. "Well," said Ron, "you went all stiff, and then Kentarre started making noises like she was hurt but trying not to show it. She asked to be excused, and Jycein told her to stay, but she went anyway. Then you started clutching at your forehead, and the bell rang." Harry, in a bit of a daze, got up from his chair, slung his bag over his shoulder, and went to the door.  
  
Outside, two people were having a heated conversation.  
  
"-don't see why you're making such a fuss," said the voice of Professor Jycein. "You left the classroom without my permission anyway, so there's really no big deal."  
  
"No big deal? You know perfectly well, traitor, that the only reason I asked you to leave was because I had to. It wouldn't do on my part to simply barge off in the middle of class without asking the teacher first." The second voice Harry recognized in an instant.  
  
"Which you did anyway."  
  
"Yes, I did, because if I didn't I would've been subject to a very difficult situation that I have no desire to explain twice!"  
  
"Oh, that's a shame."  
  
"Don't get cheeky with me, Learst."  
  
"Why do you keep calling me that?"  
  
"Shouldn't I? It's your name."  
  
"Not since I turned human it's not."  
  
"Learst, you know just as well as I do that that has nothing to do with it. Name change is optional."  
  
"Yes, but I took that option, so you might as well get used to it. The name's Jycein."  
  
"Would you stop getting off the subject? The point is I've had enough of your games. Try something like that again, and your life will be miserable henceforth."  
  
"Ooh, I'm trembling in my shoes."  
  
"Just keep in mind that I can arrange much worse than trembling."  
  
Then Harry heard angry footsteps leading away from the classroom, and Harry, having no desire to be left alone with an angry Jycein, took this opportunity to open the door in a great hurry and follow after her. "Oh, Harry," someone called after him, and he had no choice but to turn around. Jycein was looking at him with an unreadable expression. "Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" asked the professor. Harry replied, "Uh, yes sir, I'm just fine, thanks." Without another word, Harry dashed off down the hall.  
  
Kentarre had disappeared, but Harry had some idea of where she would go. Come to find out, he had been right. He found her fuming under the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall. "How dare that scum talk to me like that?" she hissed as Harry and the other two came up. She looked at Harry, and he saw her eyes flash furiously. Then her gaze softened to something not so harsh--like a stone--and she said, "Well, I'm glad you got yourself out of that mess. Are you all right?" Harry thought about this, and then he said, "I suppose so. What happened?"  
  
"Kaeru."  
  
"Oh. You mean he tried to--?"  
  
"Mm-hmm. He sure did, that b-" Hermione started. "Kentarre!" she said sharply, and the girl with silver hair laughed. "Well, I suppose there's no hope for it. Out of curiosity, Potter, how did you get yourself out? Not even Dumbledore managed that." Harry told her about the stone, how it had come unbidden into his mind, and how the barrier had come in his way. When he got to the part about going around the wall, Kentarre nodded to herself, and when he was finished, she chuckled. "I guess you've got more devices against him than even I thought," she admitted. "Very good, Potter. Very good." 


	13. Twists

Chapter 13: Twists  
Hermione, though she would never admit it to anyone, was beginning to feel a kind of strain. The loads of homework that they had been receiving during the past few days were getting close to overwhelming, and that was on top of the fact that she couldn't help glancing at Harry every so often during the day. That time when he had nearly given over to Voldemort--or Kaeru, as Kentarre called him--had really given her quite a scare. The fact was that she couldn't help being worried; this was, after all, very serious business, and any number of things could go wrong. Kentarre had said so. Hermione sniffed. Kentarre's name always stirred up feelings of agitation in her. *She has no consideration whatsoever!* Hermione's mind screamed indignantly. However, she had seen Harry's face when he looked at the silver-haired girl who held so many secrets from them, and she kept her mouth clamped shut when their conversations covered that subject.   
  
Ron, however, had seen these hints of disdain in Hermione's eyes, and he knew how she felt about the whole thing, though he never breathed a word of it to Harry. Ron had not even made his own opinion of Kentarre very clear. However, Ron did feel that some measures were to be taken about the girl's total disregard for Harry's feelings in the matter. He knew that it was probably none of his business, but Kentarre seemed to be completely in control of this endeavor, and Ron thought that Harry ought to have a bit more say-so in the way things went. Kentarre's drills seemed to occupy all of Harry's free time. Ron thought that this wasn't fair, though he couldn't quite find the right time to say so.  
  
Meanwhile, Kentarre's thoughts were moving beyond the little mind games that she and Harry played with all kinds of objects, like fallen branches, more stones, and the occasional pile of dirt or leaves. The piles of dirt were the hardest for Harry, because she had asked him to spread out the dirt and see how much ground it covered. This proved almost too difficult; the piles in his mind always seemed to have enough dirt to spread to infinity.   
  
Many times had Harry asked her what all of this was for, but she had never found a legitimate reason to answer him. Besides, where did all the fun go if she told him the whole point?  
  
One night after one such session, when they were lounging in an empty common room, Kentarre broke some relieving news. "You're ready to move on, Potter," she told him. Harry leaned forward in his chair and said, "What? Move on? To what? And what was the point of all that, anyway?" Kentarre replied calmly, "It was to train your mind to stop making things up and concentrate on what was actually there. Your mind is used to imagining up anything it needed to solve a problem, and when you use my kind of magic all you have to work with is what's there. See, if you tried to use my magic to solve a problem that your mind kept fixing for you, you'd never get it done. You have to see what's actually there first, and only then can you begin to solve a problem. For instance, if I wanted to make that book over there fly to me," Kentarre pointed to an open book on the table a few feet away from her, "I'd have to first see all of its sides in my mind and then apply pressure on the underside while at the same time lifting pressure off of the top." She sat back and let this sink in for a bit before adding, "So you see, Potter, this is only a step."  
  
Harry didn't quite understand all that, but instead of revealing his stupidity, he asked, "So what do we do now?" Kentarre said, "Well, here's where we get to the roadblock. See, after you've covered this step, you really can't go any farther unless you have something to experiment with." Her eyes then regarded Harry with an intensity that told Harry everything. "So... what we do next is transfer your magic to me?" Kentarre stared at him a moment longer, and then she nodded. Harry took in a deep breath, and then he too nodded, more to himself than to anyone else. Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances.   
  
Kentarre then set a date for Saturday morning at 5:00, three days from now, and then she went up to bed. Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not follow.  
  
Hermione was the first to speak after Kentarre disappeared up the stairs. "I still say there's something she's hiding from us," she said, her voice echoing the disdain in her eyes. "I mean, she still hasn't explained everything. Like what will happen to the rest of the people in the castle once the battle starts, and where the battle will take place, and how You-Know-Who plans to attack."  
  
Harry pointed out, "She may not know all of that, Hermione. That would be a reason not to tell us, don't you think?"  
  
Hermione sniffed and said matter-of-factly, "Of course she knows all that. Haven't you been listening? She said that You-Know-Who used to be one of their number."  
  
Ron looked puzzled. "That's right. What about it?"  
  
Hermione now looked exasperated. "Well, if I were trying to cover up something unpleasant--say, that I had once been one of You-Know-Who's servants--I might-"  
  
"Wait a minute, Hermione!" Harry interrupted. "She never said that she was his servant. Rather, I think it was the other way around."  
  
Hermione sniffed. "That's what she says."  
  
"Don't you believe her?"  
  
"Harry, I have no reason to trust her at all, much less any reason to believe something she says. For all we know, she could view that as a technicality while we view it as reason for suspicion."  
  
"And in the meantime, Hermione, you're viewing it as just that. And before the words even came out of her mouth, I might add!"  
  
"That could've been under her control! She could be leading you on, Harry."  
  
"So what do you propose we do about it?"  
  
"Just be careful! Don't forget that you have no reason to trust her, either."  
  
Harry opened his mouth, and then clamped it shut. He took a deep breath. He really didn't want the others hearing what had been about to come out of his mouth just then. It was a rather personal subject, one that one just doesn't bring up for general discussion. He then said quietly, "I'll be careful, Hermione, but I still don't see why you're being so suspicious."  
  
Hermione's eyes took on a guilty look. "I... I just don't trust her. I don't like the way she just waltzes in here and expects us to cooperate without question, which is exactly what you've been doing, Harry. What if something happened and you found yourself completely in her hands? Think of what could happen if she isn't really who she says she is." Harry looked away. He wouldn't admit it, but he had had these thoughts himself before, and he had considered what could happen. The possibilities weren't all that appealing, and ofttimes Harry had thought about backing out. However, he had then told himself what he was about to tell Hermione.  
  
"But Hermione, think about what will happen if I don't do this. She'll just choose someone else to do the job, and the same thing could happen to them. I'd sooner have it happen to me than someone else who's never met Voldemort and would panic and run away when the time came. Kentarre was right about that; I do have an advantage because I've met him before."  
  
"Oh, Harry, do you really think that's going to decide the battle for you?"  
  
Harry really didn't think that, but he didn't say so. "Look, it's going to be all right. After Saturday, Kentarre won't have any of her powers, so she won't be able to hold that over us, even if what you think about her is true. I'll have to go through with the rest of it after that, but it won't be like she's forcing me."  
  
Hermione glanced at Ron, who was staring at the floor between his feet. She looked back at Harry. Her eyes, he saw, were brimming. "Oh, Harry!" she cried, and then she threw her arms around his neck. "I'm just so worried!" Then she broke away, putting her arms back at her side as if embarrassed. Then she said as an afterthought, "If anything happens to you, human or not, that Kentarre character will have to deal with me!" Harry grinned at her, and everything was right again.  
  
The three of them shortly afterward decided to get some sleep. They said their goodnights and went up to bed. Harry hadn't realized how tired he was until just now. He laid his glasses on the nightstand and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.  
  
  
Classes were somewhat trying for Harry. Everyone remembered the events of the Friday before, and they all cast wary glances in Harry's direction, whispering in gossipy voices behind their hands. However, if people stared at Harry, it was nothing to how they were treating Kentarre. A few of the brave ones took to walking just in front of her, saying, "Coming through, coming through, make way for the Teacher's Superior!" in grand, booming voices. This act of insubordinance, however, was thoroughly squashed when Professor McGonagall caught them at it. She was about to deliver a stinging reprimand when Kentarre stopped her and took care of it herself. The two boys soon found themselves laughing uncontrollably and giggling their way down to the hospital wing. Kentarre ended up losing ten points for Gryffindor, but everyone else got the message and went back to twittering to one another in tightly knit groups.   
  
Divination, Harry soon discovered, was a huge nightmare. Professor Trelawney, having not been given an excuse to foretell Harry's doom that year, very quickly got over her disappointment. She greeted them in the normal way, but she looked sharply over Harry's weary features and said in her oozing voice, "My dear, you seem troubled. I foresee many trials in store for you, and I perceive that before the year ends, you will yet again make a near pass with death that you may not endure." She looked at him with an expression like pity in her eyes, and Harry saw Ron roll his eyes. Kentarre came into class a few minutes later, and she took her seat by Harry. Professor Trelawney looked at her. "My dear," she said, "your books have been prepared for you at this table here." She pointed to the one nearest the fire, which was groaning under a pile of heavy textbooks. "Your lesson awaits." Kentarre replied smoothly, "Actually, professor, I thought that in compliance with the lesson I am studying, the behavior of those subjected to fate, I should merely observe others in the class." Kentarre artfully cast a sidelong glance at Harry, and Professor Trelawney's eyes lit up. "Very well, my dear," she said delightfully, and then she proceeded to address the entire class.   
  
During this introduction to their lesson, Harry leaned over and muttered, "What was that all about?" Kentarre smirked. "A word of the wise, Potter. When someone has gone so far into this as she, always agree with them. It's very easy to perceive what her vices are, and if you just go along with them, she'll do anything you want simply because you agree with her. See, the way she sees it, she and I share a 'special exclusive secret' about you, and neither of us will speak of it, of course, because she has sworn an oath to the Fates, and I've certainly got no idea what's up. If I speak and act like I do, though, she'll play right into my hands because she feels that if I've got the skill to have found that out, I'm worth her respect." Harry's head was, by now, positively spinning, but he just had one more question. "So you really don't know what has got her all fired up about predicting my death?"   
  
"Haven't a clue. I really don't have time for all that gibberish, and it's not really the most reliable of human practices."  
  
"That's what McGonagall said."  
  
"There's another person you should listen to. She's one of the few people in this place who's got their head on straight."  
  
Lessons that day included moving on to another subject: the zodiac. Professor Trelawney clearly agreed with the Greek mythologists, because she stated, "The study of the constellations has been in practice for thousands of years, and though it is one of the more obscure branches of Divination, it is nonetheless the branch that has not, to date, ever been proven wrong."  
  
Ron muttered, "Though I'd be willing to wager that it's never been proven right, either." Kentarre replied in a whisper, "She's actually closer to the truth than you think. The science of the zodiac is not exactly what one would call straightforward. There are many ways of interpreting the results, and it's so elusive that it can be twisted around to say almost anything. Thus, it's never been proven wrong."  
  
The class seemed to drag on into infinity. They started with interpreting previously inscribed zodiac predictions, and then they moved on to the theory of writing them themselves. It was long and tedious work, requiring near-perfect conditions before they could even begin to write what they were supposed to gather from their star charts. And even so, Professor Trelawney told them to write their names on the star charts so they could pick up immediately the following day. She collected the charts and then she bustled Kentarre away to discuss the day's observations behind a heavy velvet maroon curtain.   
  
Once the two of them had been closeted away, Harry heaved a weary sigh. "This is going to take an eternity and a half," he groaned, wiping his sweating forehead. Ron snorted. "Trelawney seems especially excited about this lesson, so it's likely to take longer than that. I don't know what she sees in all of this. I may not know what I do want to do with my life, but I certainly don't want to be a Divination professor." Harry nodded his agreement.   
  
A few minutes later, Kentarre emerged from her discussion with Professor Trelawney, and the bell rang impressively just as they reappeared. "Farewell, my dears," said the professor in her whispery voice, and the class filed down the narrow stairs that led away from her attic. Ron muttered, "Someday somebody's going to prove all she says is phony, and I hope I'm there when they do." Kentarre smirked. "That day may not be so far off. I've been leading her on. She thinks Harry's really going to die by the end of this year, and she's almost prepared to come right out and say it. I'm making my moves."  
  
"Do you have a plan for everything that goes on here?"  
  
"I'm trying to keep tabs on everything so that I'll know when the time is right. There's something significant that will happen for each factor, and I have to be prepared for whatever it is, because when it happens,--"  
  
"All right, so I didn't really want to know."  
  
Kentarre chuckled in her resonant contralto, and the three of them met up with Hermione on their way to the next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Kentarre took a slow, deep breath before she entered the room. Harry assumed she was getting her temper back in check.  
  
Professor Jycein, apparently, had taken Kentarre's warnings and thunderous glances quite seriously. His class seemed different somehow, though Harry could not quite put his finger on how. None of his classmates acted any differently, but there was definitely something wrong. It agitated Harry so much that very soon he was glancing warily around the classroom, almost not realizing he was doing it. He looked at Kentarre just once, but he couldn't read anything from her expression. Her jaw was set in aggravation, but her eyes were alert and suspicious, darting every so often to the window and then back to Jycein.  
  
Hermione and Ron seemed somehow subdued as well, as if they had been told something that he had been excluded from. In any case, it made Harry a bit edgy, and when the class ended, he wasn't prepared for what came next.   
  
Kentarre waited for them outside of the classroom, just out of sight behind the doorframe. When Harry emerged, she said, "Hold on, there, Potter." Harry jumped, more out of nervousness than of real fright. Then he flushed, looking irritated. "What?"  
  
"We've got somewhere to be," she replied cryptically, and before Harry could ask what she meant by that, she held up a hand. "Just follow me," came her brusque instructions, and Harry, having learned that until he did what she told him to, he would never know what it was she was up to, obeyed. She led him this way and that until they came to an empty corridor, where Harry caught up and asked, "Okay, now what's this all about?"  
  
"We're going down to pay Kaeru a visit."  
  
"Are you crazy? Somebody'll see us!"  
  
"They won't."  
  
"You know, you're really scary when you say things like that."  
  
"Well, they won't. What else do you want me to say?"  
  
"Something sensible, for a change!"  
  
"Are you arguing with me, Potter? Or should I just go by myself?"  
  
That silenced whatever argument would've popped into his head next. Harry tagged along sullenly, making sure to keep to Kentarre's swift strides. He then noticed that Hermione and Ron had not followed him, and he wondered aloud where they had gone. Kentarre replied, "They're around. I just didn't want them to come."  
  
"How can you--"  
  
"I just can. Are you going to argue some more?"  
  
That was really starting to get tiresome, and Harry would've dearly loved to say so, but at that point Snape rounded a corner up ahead, making Harry inwardly groan. As Harry had known he would, Snape deliberately blocked the hallway and asked in a voice that clearly said I'm-in-the-way-and-I-know-it, "Now, where could you be going in such a hurry?" Kentarre took his sneer in full force. "Now, what makes the Potions master so curious?" she asked in the same mocking tone. Snape replied, "It's my business to ask questions, Hisakata. Otherwise students might get away with certain things that they would rather have remained undetected." Kentarre said, "Fair enough. Well, if you wanted to know, we were just going outside to have a talk with Hagrid. I heard that another one of his wraiths went missing again, and we wondered how he would feel about that."   
  
Snape smirked. "How touching. And I suppose you expect him to cry his eyes out just so you can comfort him?"  
  
Kentarre scowled darkly and countered , "Well, we won't know until we get there, now will we?" Harry started to caution Kentarre, but stopped when Snape's eyes flickered in his direction. Harry knew that Snape could take what Kentarre just said and turn it into disrespect, giving him reason to deduct fifty points from Gryffindor in the blink of an eye.   
  
Snape, however, merely said in a voice that spoke volumes of irritation, "Very well. You may move on." He, with some apparent great effort, stepped aside to let them pass.  
  
Now, they might've gotten away right there just fine with no harm done. But Kentarre would have none of that. "I'm thrilled to have your permission," she said as they went by, her voice saturated with sarcasm. Snape scowled after them, his dislike for the silver-haired student showing just a little less than did his dislike for Harry. Harry was, in a way, glad that Kentarre was there to deal with Snape when he decided to interfere. Now, he knew very well what it was like to catch Snape on one of his bad days, which Kentarre frequently did, but the girl showed none of the irritation that he usually felt when he had just had a talk with that particular professor. In fact, as Harry examined her expression, she seemed calm, almost satisfied.  
  
On an impulse, Kentarre looked over at Harry. "I love talking with him," she told him. "It keeps me on the edge. It also lets me know that he still reasonably hates me." Harry tried not to stare.  
  
However, when they got outside and Kentarre headed straight for Hagrid's cabin, Harry just couldn't keep from asking. "Why are we going to Hagrid's?"  
  
"To find out if he saw anything. There's always that chance that coincidence will happen, and I just want to make sure."  
  
"So what if he did see something?"  
  
"I'll think of something."  
  
"You mean you don't know?"  
  
"Yet. We'll just see how the situation presents itself."  
  
"You're being scary again."  
  
"I'm only scary if you don't trust me."  
  
"How can I trust you when you're always improvising?"  
  
"Do you want to get into a discussion about this?"  
  
Harry very much wanted to say 'we already have', but the Kentarre's tone stopped his tongue. He was silent all the way down to the little wooden hut that was Hagrid's home.  
  
When they got there, Hagrid let them in with hearty claps on the back. "Where're Ron an' Hermione?" he asked them jovially. Kentarre replied, "They got caught up, so we thought we'd just come along anyway." Hagrid frowned, but he didn't say anything.   
  
Instead, he offered them tea and a plate of blueberry dumplings that were rather rubbery. They accepted the tea, but declined the dumplings. Kentarre got right into a conversation. "So, Hagrid, how are the wraiths?" she asked him.  
  
"Oh, they're doin' alrigh'. Some of 'em are a bit edgy, but I can't seem to figure out why."  
  
"Edgy?"  
  
"They won't sleep very often, an' they jump at every little noise."  
  
"I see. Hagrid, how many wraiths do you have now?"  
  
"Seven."  
  
"And how many did you start out the year with?"  
  
"Ten."  
  
"Do you know what happened to the other three?"  
  
"Well, I don't righ'ly know. They just sort o' disappeared, like."  
  
"I see."  
  
After that, Hagrid changed the subject, and the conversation turned. Then Harry brought something up. "Hey, Hagrid, do you know what Dumbledore's planning for this year's Christmas?"  
  
Kentarre looked at him inquiringly, and he asked her, "You mean you haven't heard? The whole school's buzzing." Her eyes flashed. "No, I hadn't heard. What exactly are they saying?"  
  
Harry gave a sidelong glance at Hagrid, and then he told her, "Well, I hear that he's not hiring anyone to provide music, but that during the Christmas feast, students will get up and play music at different intervals. As I understand it, he's going to let each house have three candidates, and everyone in that house will vote. They'll play at different times during the feast. Is that right, Hagrid?"  
  
Hagrid had a twinkle in his eye. "Well, now, I'm not suppose' teh tell yeh that. That's a secret, see, an' Dumbledore asked me teh keep my mouth shut." He looked rather proud of himself.  
  
Harry attempted to goad Hagrid into telling them something more, but he refused to ruin the surprise. Then Kentarre announced that they'd better be heading back to the castle to do homework, and Harry agreed with her. They thanked the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds and then left, heading towards the castle.   
  
Once Hagrid had closed his door, Harry muttered to Kentarre, "Shouldn't we be turning around now? The Forest is back that way." He gestured behind them.  
  
Kentarre replied in low tones, "Not the part of it that we want. We'll go around back to the Quidditch field and then turn right, straight into the Forest."  
  
They rounded the castle and came upon the deserted Quidditch field. However, Kentarre stopped just as they came around the wall. Harry asked, "What?" and she motioned for him to be silent. He came to join her up against the stone wall, and he saw that she had two fingers on her temple, apparently concentrating on something.   
  
Momentarily, Harry heard a cry from above, and as he looked up he saw a bird spiraling down toward them. On silent wings, Nemesis descended to land with a feathery flap on his mistress's arm. She conveyed something to him by making sounds that so duplicated those Harry had heard the falcon make that it surprised him, and Nemesis replied with a similar series of coos. Then she lifted her arm and he took wing, flying ahead of them a little ways, but making sure to keep in their sight. Harry asked her, "What was all that about?"  
  
"Nemesis is going to go ahead as our scout."  
  
"What's he scouting for?"  
  
"Anything that might in any way get in our way."  
  
"Oh. How's he going to let us know if he sees anything?"  
  
"I've given him instructions to screech once if we're supposed to change directions, screech twice if he's seen someone besides us, and screech three times when we're about to come upon Voldemort's hideout."  
  
"Won't they suspect something?"  
  
"Not really. As I hear, falcons are fairly common in England. Let's go."  
  
The forest was damp and dim as it always had been, but there was something about it that didn't feel right. For some reason, Harry got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He lost count of how many times he glanced behind them. But when he looked over at Kentarre, she didn't seem to be affected by it.  
  
Which is why he was so startled when she murmured under her breath, "Someone followed us." Harry couldn't help but stare. Kentarre then proceeded to mutter a few choice oaths, and Harry was alarmed. "Can you tell who it is?"  
  
"No. Whoever it is, he's very good. Just keep your eyes peeled, and let me know if you see anything."  
  
"I haven't been able to see him so far. Who do you think it is?"  
  
"Well, it could be one of two people. I don't want to make a concrete guess, so let's just leave it at that."  
  
Just then, a lone falcon cry came to them from somewhere overhead and to the left. Immediately, Kentarre struck that way, following the sound. Nemesis led them in a large arc, and then there were three consecutive screeches. Kentarre got down into a crouch, motioning for Harry to do the same and follow her. They went forwards for a ways, and they found Nemesis perched on the branch of a short pine. Kentarre conveyed her thanks in a series of coos, and then the bird noiselessly took off again.   
  
Kentarre proceeded on through the bushes with Harry close behind. They hadn't gotten very far when she made an abrupt halt, throwing her hand out to catch Harry by the chest before he stumbled over her. Harry followed her staring eyes and, with a jolt, recognized what he saw.  
  
There was a well-made camp comprised of about five or six tents, the biggest one being in the center of it all. They were all black with a symbol on the door; a skull with a snake emerging from its mouth, embroidered in green. There were people in black cowled robes walking around at a steady, rhythmic pace. They did not speak nor look at each other, but moved as if with a common purpose.  
  
Just then, someone emerged from the largest tent. This man did not walk at the stately pace of the rest of them, but he hurried with jolting steps, stumbling this way and that and muttering to himself. Harry didn't have to see the man's face to know who he was; this man owed Harry his life, and he had had a hand in Harry's near-death. The man's name was Peter Pettigrew, known to many as Wormtail. He disappeared into a smaller tent and reappeared shortly, carrying something clutched in pale fingers. He jerkily made his way through the throng and back through the tent flap of the large tent.  
  
Kentarre faintly nodded her head. "So," she said after a pause, "he's got something planned." Harry whispered, "How can you tell?"  
  
"I can feel it." She pulled up her glove so he could see that the rings on her left hand glowed familiarly, but her eyes remained far away, staring at the black tent that Wormtail had gone into. "He's got his weapon with him, but he's not ready yet. He's brought in some test subjects, but his skills are but a faint memory. When he turned human, nearly everything Kelohran about him was erased. His blood flowed red; his body forgot everything. But it couldn't erase what his mind knew. He still had his memories, and that's what makes him so dangerous. You see, with all that information stored in his head, there's nothing to stop him from reteaching himself what his hands once knew. He's begun the process, but he needed practice. So he sent for random test subjects--wizards, of course. They've all gone mad now. He overwhelmed them, and their minds responded in the best way they knew how." Harry was staring at her incredulously. "They went mad?" he repeated. She nodded grimly, her jaw set.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, when he started overtaking their wills, he made them do all manner of things that nearly killed them. Their minds were wasted because of the tremendous force pushed on them."  
  
"So what happened to them?"  
  
"He discarded them at various places in England."  
  
"But if they've gone mad, they could die out there!"  
  
"Do you think he cares what happens to them? He's finished with them; as far as he's concerned, they're already dead."  
  
Harry felt a terrible anger at this. Voldemort had gone too far. It was high time that somebody stopped this.   
  
Kentarre put a hand on his arm. He looked at her sharply, trying to keep his outrage out of his expression. She narrowed her eyes. "Now's not the time to be heroic."  
  
Harry felt a tinge of annoyance, and he avoided her eyes, trying to pull away from her grasp.  
  
"No! Harry, listen to me." He could feel her eyes burning into him, and he couldn't help looking up to meet them.   
  
Kentarre's face wore an expression he had never seen there before. It was a mixture of understanding and compassion and a trace of the same anger that he felt. "You have to stay quiet. We can't just barge out there and start making noise. They outman us twenty to one--and that's not including Voldemort. The time isn't right." Her voice then softened almost imperceptibly. "He's hurt me too, Harry. I wish as much as you do that I could change this, but we both have to stick it out to the end. Don't worry-" She winked at him, and a small smile came to her pale face. "He'll get what's coming to him."  
  
Suddenly, there were two falcon cries from somewhere in the sky behind them. Kentarre's eyes narrowed, and she replaced her left glove as she glanced behind her. "He's caught up with us, and he's somewhere out there," she indicated behind them with her head. "Stay here. I'll go check it out. Stay out of sight, and don't make any noise."  
  
Harry was about to protest, but she disappeared into the bushes before he could say something. *She meant to do that,* he told himself irritably, knowing there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
Kentarre crept back on silent feet, listening almost too hard for any misplaced sound that might lead her to their tracker. She could no longer hear Nemesis. The forest was quieter than a graveyard at midnight. The trees seemed to be holding their breaths, and the air was still yet piercingly cold.  
  
Suddenly, there was a nervous flutter, and a flock of birds shook themselves out of the trees, flowing as one toward the sky. Kentarre winced at the sudden noise, and then she heard them--the receding footsteps, heading off to her left at a dead run. She shot off after them without thinking twice.  
  
She learned shortly that she was gaining on whoever it was ahead of her, and soon she caught glimpses of a black robe. A closer look showed a short person with blond hair.   
  
Kentarre reached out and caught the tracker by the back of his robes and spun him around, locking a grip on his arm. She looked into his face and swore.   
  
"Malfoy, you'd better have a good reason for this," she growled.  
  
The boy's eyes were triumphant. "I have a perfectly good reason for it, Kentarre, but that's none of your concern. The point is that I know now why you and Potter have been sneaking away on these little excursions. You're spying, and I know who you're spying on."  
  
Kentarre thundered, "You fool! Do you know who you're messing with?"  
  
"Ooh, what're you going to do, Kentarre? If word that you're threatening me reaches Dumbledore, I wonder how he'll take it?"  
  
"Boy, you're crossing lines here."  
  
"And what do you call what you're doing? Look, you don't want me to tell anyone, and you can't stop me from following you. I don't know what it is you're doing out here, but I'm going to find out whether you like it or not."  
  
Kentarre ground her teeth. "We'll see," she said shortly. She turned to the north and was silent for a few moments. Presently, a figure came out of the forest, a man dressed in nondescript brown clothing. He and Kentarre conversed quietly in another language, and then Kentarre released Malfoy from her grasp. She immediately turned and strode away.  
  
When Malfoy moved to follow her, the man caught him with a well-placed hand at his midriff. "Where are you going?" he asked coldly. Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he said, "I'm going after her."  
  
"Ah, that, my friend, is where you are wrong."   
  
Malfoy attempted to push past the man, but he suddenly found himself shoved with great force up against a nearby tree. He cried out and attempted to run, but his muscles froze up, and he was unable to move. He was forced back to the tree, where the man eyed him shrewdly, one hand stretched out toward him. "Well, neighbor, now that we understand each other, how about being agreeable? If you're very quiet and don't make a fuss, I'll ask Kentarre not to be too harsh with you."  
  
Malfoy sneered. "I'm not afraid of that wench."  
  
"Ah, but there, neighbor, you are wrong. You are afraid of Kentarre; very afraid."  
  
  
Kentarre stormed away, trying not to make too much noise. She heard no more from Nemesis.  
  
Suddenly, someone stepped out in front of her, causing her to come to an abrupt stop. His face was covered in a deeply cowled black cloak, but Kentarre knew him the instant he spoke.  
  
"You've been overmatched again, Kentarre," he sneered.  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "How did you find me?"  
  
"Simple. I gave the boy a certain tracking device and told him to follow you."  
  
"Electronic devices don't work on Hogwarts campus. How did you do it, Learst?"  
  
"I've told you to stop calling me that, and how I did it is none of your concern. However, if I were you, I would be deeply worried about young Potter. He's in for a nasty surprise when we catch him."  
  
At this, Kentarre began to swear quite colorfully. The man's sneer grew. "You know, you really should watch your language, Kentarre. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've picked up a few more phrases since last we met."  
  
"Would you like to hear some of them?"  
  
"Ah, no, thank you, I have some urgent business to attend to. Ta ta!" With that, he Disapparated.  
  
Kentarre swore some more, and then she leapt into the air above the trees and made a beeline for the spot where Potter (she hoped) lay hidden.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Harry lay as still as he was able under the bush. There were a few moments of panic as he thought that he saw a few people glance his way, but they never acknowledged his presence in any way, if they had seen him.   
  
Unfortunately, this couldn't last.   
  
Harry saw one of the men run up and murmur something to a group of loungers, and they all looked over directly at Harry. Harry froze, but it was too late; they walked over toward the bush, showing no signs of changing direction at the last minute. When they came within two paces, one of them barked, "Come on out! We know you're in there!" Harry, however, remembering his instructions from Kentarre, stayed put, attempting to slow his heart pace down enough to think of something. It didn't work.  
  
One of them dove his hand in the bush and came out holding the back of Harry's robes in a fist. Harry was dragged to his feet and wordlessly marched away. His escort stopped in front of one of the tents, and Harry was pushed inside alone.   
  
Inside it was dark, but some daylight seeped in from under the cloth walls. Harry could see a room that was about ten feet squared, and it was completely bare.   
  
After a few moments, someone entered through another flap, presumably from some other part of the sectioned tent. The person, like the rest of them, was cowled in black, but this one pushed back his hood and peered at Harry out of beady eyes. Harry knew him, and he felt as though icy fingers were running up his spine to the back of his neck. His voice came out in a quiet but steady tone.  
  
"Wormtail."  
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking... but I CAN end it there, and I WILL! 


	14. The Edge of the Deep End

Chapter 14: The Edge of the Deep End  
  
The man leered in Harry's face. His putrid breath stirred Harry's bangs, and Harry stifled the urge to cough. "Glad you remember me, Potter," he said, his voice full of that same overconfidence that Harry had heard him use when he had addressed Harry last year. "You'll be seeing me for a while now, because my Lord intends to keep you here for a good while. He was just looking for someone like you to come along; someone with guts, someone who'll make an interesting test subject for his new weapon. So nice that you just happened to be spying on his camp."  
  
Harry felt a wave of anger, and then he remembered that he was supposed to know nothing about this. He managed to screw his face into something resembling frightened curiosity and asked in a squeak, "New weapon? What weapon?" Wormtail seemed to swell at this, as if proud that he knew something Harry didn't. "Now, now, Potter, don't be so hasty. You'll know more about it than you'd care to soon enough." With that, he cast one more contemptuous glance in Harry's direction and shuffled out of the tent door. His voice came back over his shoulder, "Now, I wouldn't advise trying to escape. This whole camp's full of full-grown wizards, and we wouldn't want any tangles where, ah, unfortunate accidents might occur."  
  
When he was gone, Harry coughed a few times to rid his head of that cloud of fear that had come over him when he heard Wormtail say 'new weapon.' *So, he plans to use it on me before Kentarre's had the chance to transfer her powers to me,* he thought miserably to himself. He looked around at the tent walls. He could see the shadows of three pairs of feet near the edge of the flap that led outside. *There doesn't seem to be a way out... but I'm definitely not waiting for Voldemort to squash my mind into a pulp. Hmmm...*  
  
Harry toyed around with a few ideas until he came up with one he liked: wait for Kentarre to get back. She would see that he was not in the place she had left him, and she would surely think of something.  
  
Well, Kentarre certainly did see that Harry was not where she had left him. In fact, she saw so well that she started telling whoever was close enough to hear her hushed tones just how stupid she was and exactly how mad Malfoy made her and precisely what she was going to do with Learst when she got her hands on him. When she finished this tirade under her breath, she began to watch the men in the camp very closely. *Well, I don't think it takes a Scotland Yard detective to figure out who resides in that big tent. However, they didn't take Harry to that one, because if they had, Kaeru would've been only too glad to finish him off then, and that hasn't happened yet. He must be in one of those smaller ones, but which one? Damn. I'll have to get closer.*  
  
Kentarre crept forward until she was nearly inside one of the smaller ones. Inside were about six or seven black-robed people. All of their hoods were up, but Kentarre knew their voices to be female.   
  
"Trust the men to come up with something like that," said one of them. "Honestly, sometimes I think that if they didn't have us around to interpret Lord Voldemort's orders, they'd all be running around like chickens with their heads cut off."  
  
"And what would your husband say if he heard you talking like that?"  
  
"Who cares? By the king's beard, Marla, you act as though you're afraid he's got spies that take down every word you say!"  
  
"Well, at least I care what people think of me. I have a reputation to keep up--and my husband's counting on me to keep it."  
  
"Oh, loosen up! What's the worst he can do?"  
  
"I'm trying not to find out, and if you know what's best, you'll also toe the line. The Master's very uptight this year; he hopes to take down the Potter boy and Dumbledore all in one stroke, and he won't be able to do it if his servants aren't giving him all their attention."  
  
"Oh, he'll succeed! Don't forget, we'll be there to help him flay the old bastard, and the boy will be a pushover once we get him cornered."  
  
"Don't be so easy about it, Constance. It's not going to be a stroll in the park. The Master, so unfortunately, failed in his last attempt to kill Potter. What makes you think you're going to make such a big difference?"  
  
"Confidence, Marla, confidence and motive. It'll make a difference when I think of my child being able to go to a school that is unstained by Mudbloods just as soon as we can wipe out that Muggle-loving geezer."  
  
That was all Kentarre needed. She had heard enough to know what position Kaeru was in. *His servants are getting cocky... or at least one of them is, and soon it will spread. Good... very good. Now, if I could just find Potter, life would be good.*  
  
The next tent was empty, and so was the next. The next tent had a man who looked to be standing guard in front of some kind of curtained off area, like a small side room. Kentarre went around to where the side room was bordered by the tent walls and took a peek. Inside, she saw Harry standing in the center, presumably twiddling his thumbs. A peek around the corner told her that there were three guards standing outside.  
  
She quietly slipped under the canvas and murmured, "Quiet, Potter." He whirled and she saw the relief in his eyes. "What took you?" he asked under his breath.  
  
"Got sidetracked. I found Malfoy snooping around behind us. He's being watched by Nazo."  
  
"Good. Got a plan?"  
  
"Of course. Is he planning to kill you or test you first?"  
  
"Both, I think. So, what's the plan?"  
  
"Stay here."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't counter what they're trying to do until I know what it is they're trying to do."  
  
"Well, let me clear it up for you. Voldemort's going to use me as one of his test subjects, all of whom have either died or gone mad. Does that give you a hint?"  
  
"Cool it, Potter, I've got the upper hand here because he doesn't know I'm here--yet."  
  
"So when he finds out, then what?"  
  
"Well, I want to keep my advantage over him as long as I can while keeping you alive, so I'm going to go undercover for a while to see what I can come up with."  
  
"There's a Death Eater around here named Wormtail. He'll have the information you want, and he shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of."  
  
"Hmmm. Thanks, Potter. Sit tight while I'm gone, and don't breathe a word."  
  
"I'm not an imbecile."  
  
"I know. See that you stay that way."  
  
"Ha ha. Good luck, and be careful."  
  
"I'm not a weakling, but I suppose even the strongest have to eat their words sometimes."  
  
With that, Kentarre left Harry's cubicle through the main tent, and Harry could hear scuffling noises and a muffled grunt. Kentarre's head reappeared, this time cowled in black. She winked cheerily and then ducked back out.   
  
Harry couldn't help grinning. *Sometimes she plays around so much it's scary,* he thought to himself, *but at least she gets the job done.*  
  
Kentarre's grin, however, faded once she got back out of the tent. Very quickly, she drew her own wand and stuffed the stolen one into her pocket. Then she folded her hands inside her sleeves, her wand making a nice addition to the straight line that was her forearms.  
  
She turned her chin down and began that hurried, swishing pace that blended almost seamlessly. As she made her way toward the center tent, she was aware of many murmured conversations going on around her, but she couldn't make out any of it without stopping to listen.   
  
To Kentarre's surprise, she made it to the tent without any interruptions. *Now, that was interesting. I can't remember the last time an undercover job worked so well.*   
  
Instead of listening through the front flap, she circled the entire cube to see if there were any good eavesdropping places. There were none. The entire perimeter was completely unbordered; plain, garish black walls that loomed toward the sky.  
  
Kentarre cursed under her breath. *Just great. Now what?*   
  
Just then, that what came. A whisper of a voice drifted out to her from the tent, almost on a breeze. The voice she almost didn't recognize, but the magic was painfully familiar. "Kennntaaaareee," it called. Kentarre felt the breeze pass directly through her, and it sent a shiver through her. At the same time, the mark on her left hand burned with the cold. And then it was over, and she was left staring at the tent wall.  
  
Kentarre's eyes widened. The afteraffects of the breeze that was Voldemort's thought told her something that chilled her even more than the magic itself had. *He's using the Harp as a concealer. That's how he's infiltrating the spells protecting Hogwarts.  
  
*And now he knows I'm here. Time to go get Potter out of here.*  
  
Her trip back to Harry's tent was not quite so successful. Just when the door flap came into view, Kentarre saw someone else go in it. Muttering curses, she sidled up to listen.  
  
"...to go, Potter. The master wishes to see you immediately."  
  
Kentarre's curses became more vehement, but that did not stop her. *If I'm going to get him, now's the time.*  
  
She dashed inside, her wand out. The man inside looked startled, and Kentarre wasted no time. "Petrificus Totalus!"   
  
Once the man was on the ground in locked-joint position, Kentarre bent over him and removed the hood that had flapped over his face when he fell. Harry recognized him, and he heard Kentarre take in a sharp breath. "This is not your Wormtail," she said to Harry. Harry nodded, too stunned to speak.  
  
Lucius Malfoy's angry eyes were open wide with shock. Through clenched teeth, he said, "What are you doing here, Kentarre? I thought you would be staying up at the castle, protecting Dumbledore from the truth."  
  
Kentarre sat leisurely beside him. "Well, you'd better tell your master that there's been a change in the rules. Dumbledore knows everything."  
  
"Then why hasn't he done anything? Is he really that frightened by our mere presence?"  
  
"Actually, I'm handling things at the moment. He's making sure that the students don't get word of it and start to panic."  
  
"How useful of him. While you wander around and do whatever you want, I suppose?"  
  
"More or less. Mostly it's making sure you don't get your slimy fingers on Hogwarts."  
  
"Too late for that, Kentarre--or should I say Zorensei? We're already on the move, and you can do nothing against the master's new weapon."  
  
"You know, if you keep throwing your weight around you may just hit a wall. I already know what it is he has and his plans for it."  
  
"That's easier to say than to back up."  
  
"True, but this time I can actually do both. My point to you is this--tell your master from me to stop meddling in my affairs with the boy. What will happen has been destined to happen for an eternity and a half, and there's nothing he can do about it." At this point, Kentarre stood, brushed herself off, and said to Harry, "Come on. We've overstayed our welcome."  
  
Harry began to follow her, but Lucius Malfoy's voice stopped him. "Harry," he said in a malicious voice. "A little advice. Don't blindly believe everything that girl tells you. She can't be trusted."  
  
Harry looked at him for a moment, but he said nothing and left the tent.  
  
Kentarre was standing just outside, blocking anyone's view of the door with her large, drapelike sleeves. "The game's not over yet, Potter; we still have to get out of this rat-infested refuse hole. Come on, under the cloak."  
  
Harry did as he was told, and Kentarre pulled the folds in front of him, covering them both.   
  
"Walk. Toward the trees."  
  
They began their trek, but it wasn't very long before a very officious-looking woman approached them. Harry ducked down inside the cloak, trying to make it appear as though he were but an extension of Kentarre. Personally, if Harry could've seen what the pair of them looked like to someone else, he was quite sure that they would seem absolutely ridiculous. Harry thought he almost recognized the woman's voice, but suddenly he couldn't place it. After a rather short conversation in which Kentarre lied through her teeth more times than Harry could count, the woman's glittery high-heeled feet walked away.  
  
Harry felt a nudge in the back of his knee and began to walk again, chancing to raise his head for a peek. They were almost to the trees. To their left and right was a tent wall. Kentarre muttered, "Well, that was an adventure, to say the least. Now let's go check on our friend Malfoy."  
  
They found Malfoy underneath a tree--and not the same tree Kentarre had left him under. Nazo stood over him, glaring. When they approached, the man in brown turned and sent Kentarre a disgruntled but grateful glance. Malfoy stirred, but Nazo's eyes quickly returned to him, and he settled back against the bark.  
  
Kentarre came up right behind Nazo, and Harry stood not far to her right, looking down at Malfoy, who sneered up at them both. "So, did he give you any trouble?" Kentarre asked Nazo, who hmmphed.   
  
"He wasn't hard to keep under control." Malfoy did not look happy to hear that, as if he felt he had not done a good enough job.  
  
Kentarre crouched down beside Malfoy, getting close to his face. "So, you weren't just tagging along to see where we were going. You knew, and you wanted to go and visit dear old dad."  
  
Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and their expression became cold, shrewd. "I don't have the foggiest idea what you're talking about, Hisakata."  
  
Kentarre smirked. "Save your breath. You're not doing yourself any favors by being here."  
  
"That's not for you to decide, is it? What are you, Dumbledore's ambassador?"  
  
"Watch it, pond scum. You're in way over your head this time."  
  
"You don't frighten me, Hisakata. And you never will."  
  
"Oh, I assure you, Malfoy, that'll change. I'm not worried about that. However, what I am worried about is what we're going to do with you." She looked up at Nazo. "What do you think?"  
  
Nazo grunted. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't want to know what I think."  
  
"I thought as much." She turned back to Malfoy. "You know, I should turn you in to Dumbledore right now."  
  
Malfoy sneered. "Oh, I'm trembling."  
  
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."  
  
"Why? I'm not scared of the old man, and I already told you, I'm not afraid of you."  
  
"Perhaps." Kentarre stood and brushed her hands together. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to confine you to the hospital wing for a while. If you're not allowed to come into contact with other students, they'll never know about this. Will they, Malfoy?" Kentarre's face was grim.  
  
But it wasn't nearly as grim as Malfoy's. "You mean you're going to--?" He tried unsuccessfully to keep the flutter out of his voice.  
  
"I don't see any other alternative." Kentarre was about to raise her hand when Harry cried out.   
  
"Don't!" He laid a hand on her arm and met her eyes for a few minutes. "There has to be another way."  
  
Malfoy stared. "What's the matter, Potter? You getting queasy?"  
  
Harry's face reddened angrily. "No. I just--"  
  
Malfoy pounced again. He laughed loudly and crowed, "Potter's squeamish! I can't believe it! Well, well, well, Scarface Potter has a weakness after all! If it isn't girls, it's blood!" And his laughter rang out again.  
  
  
  
It wasn't until later that night that they got back to the castle. They found that most of the Gryffindors were still in the common room, but Harry picked out Ron and Hermione instantly. Resisting an urge to run to them, Harry walked over, reading on their faces that they had read the expression on his. Hermione asked in a hushed tone that was not without worry, "What's happened, Harry?"  
  
"Come on," he said quietly. "We have to talk."  
  
The three of them left the common room and found an empty classroom. None of them felt much like sitting, so Harry simply launched into a recount of what they had just witnessed, Kentarre filling in where Harry had been in captivity. After they had finished, Ron said, "So we know for sure that he's here? He's coming to Hogwarts?"   
  
Kentarre nodded grimly. "It's as I feared, but we'll be as prepared as we can be."  
  
"Just one question, though. What'd you do with Malfoy?"  
  
Kentarre suppressed a smile. "We left him to Madam Pomfrey. He had accidentally knocked his head on a tree branch, and got a concussion. We won't be seeing him for a few days."  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "A few days for a concussion? That's unusually long…" And then she caught the meaning behind the mirth in Kentarre's eyes. "That's not funny at all, Kentarre," she stated solemnly, even as Ron struggled to contain his guffaws.  
  
"You really did that?" he asked when he had caught his breath again.  
  
Kentarre shrugged. "Somebody had to."  
  
Hermione interjected, "Anyway, how do you know what he wants? You-Know-Who, I mean. For all we know, he could be here... here to take revenge on Harry."  
  
Kentarre replied, "It could be both. He certainly does have a motive for both. But he was counting on me being here from the beginning... that's why he stole back his weapon. He knew I could and would follow him to this point."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I sensed it. He was using magic when I approached the tent, and I also have a special link to that weapon. I made it myself; it can't betray me, even if he commanded it to."  
  
"So this weapon... what exactly does it do?"  
  
"Its main function is alterations--conversions, if you will. It can alter or completely reverse anything it comes in contact with at the command of its wielder. However, it does require a certain amount of provision for this feat--the wielder has to use much of his own magic to fuel the chain reaction that begins the altering process."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "You make it sound more scientific than magical."  
  
"Well, it partially is. Kelohra isn't all fairy dust and flowery poems. It does have some substance." She said this last with a sardonic grin, which was returned by Ron and Harry.  
  
But Hermione's frown remained. "So... if we know what he's after, what are we going to do about it?"  
  
Kentarre's grin faded. "Well," she said, her tone softer, "I had to consult Dumbledore on that part. It seems he has already taken precautions for protection against an attack from Voldemort, and he did so with a little known fact about powdered harpy's feather."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened. "Powdered harpy's feather? But that was on the list as one of our Potions ingredients!"  
  
"Exactly. He had McGonagall put it on the list with all the other ingredients for every year so that all of us would have a little bottle. And Snape hasn't used it at all during the year, so unless someone didn't get all of their ingredients, all of our bottles are still full."  
  
Ron asked, "So what is it really used for?"  
  
Kentarre leaned in closer, a seemingly instinctive move, since there was no one else in the room but them. "Well, if used properly, it will make the wearer disappear for a short period of time. You see--" She stopped abruptly, staring in the direction of the door.  
  
A knock came on the door of Professor Dumbledore's office. From inside, his cheery voice ushered in the knocker: "Enter."  
  
Professor McGonagall's head came into view as the door opened.   
  
"Yes, Minerva, what is it?"  
  
"Well," she began, "I had to speak to you." She entered and shut the door noiselessly behind her. "It has come to my attention that your guest has been arousing some suspicions among the other students."  
  
Dumbledore's eyebrows shot skyward. "I assume that you are speaking of Kentarre's investigation."  
  
The woman met his eyes with no qualms. "I must be frank. I have come to question the wisdom of your decision to allow her to commence this investigation over the course of the year. The students have already begun to inquire amongst themselves about who she really is and why she pretends to be a student here if she really isn't one. They're not sure what to think, and I fear that someone could start something that will lead to something unpleasant. I have never questioned your judgment before, and I fight myself against fighting you, because I know that you always have a reason, but I had to ask. Are you sure it is necessary?"  
  
Dumbledore rose slowly from his desk and turned his back to his employee to face the window. After a long pause, he said, "You ask if I am sure. And I must tell you honestly, Minerva, I have not been sure about many things concerning the crisis at hand. But I do know this: Kentarre has certain connections with our adversary that we will never understand. She has access to a power we cannot comprehend. She understands concepts that we are unable to fathom. She functions in a way that we never knew possible, and she came here to use these powers that she possesses all out of concern for this one boy with whom she shares nothing but an experience. I tell you," he said, turning, "I have never been more sure about anything than when I made the decision to allow Kentarre to enter this building as a student."  
  
Professor McGonagall's face still betrayed her concern and worry, so Dumbledore added, "I did not tell you this, or any of the other teachers, but she also saved my life without cause." The woman's eyes met Dumbledore's for the second time, this time registering surprise.  
  
The old man's eyes smiled back. "She knew when I was in peril, and she saved my life. To this day, I do not know why. But it has allowed me to catch a glimpse of what she is really like, behind all the mystery surrounding her person. I believe she will come through, and for more reasons than just her own."  
  
The professor shook her head. "Then we can do nothing but sit back and watch? Is there nothing we can do to help, or to fight with her, if it comes to that?"  
  
Dumbledore considered this for a while, and then he said, "There is something which I had planned on from the beginning of the year. Of course you know about the harpy's feather, but there is something else which I believe could work, if done underneath Kentarre and her actions. But we must call a meeting of the faculty."  
  
McGonagall looked almost grateful for the hint of action. She immediately mobilized, heading for the door, saying, "I'll call them together in the teacher's lounge."  
  
Dumbledore's voice called to her as she left. "Minerva."  
  
She paused, looking over her shoulder.  
  
Dumbledore's twinkling smile met her gaze. "Thank you for bringing this to me."  
  
She gave a small smile and a nod before closing the door behind her.  
  
"Jycein." Kentarre's voice was more of a growl.  
  
The dark-haired teacher stood in the doorway, trying, it seemed, to keep a smile off of his face. Never taking his eyes off Kentarre, he said, "I assume you know the punishment for being caught out past curfew." He walked forward, and for the first time, his eyes landed on Ron, Harry, and Hermione, who stood slightly in front of their silver-haired ally.  
  
The professor's next word rang out like the harsh tone of someone striking a cracked bell. "Detention, I believe, is the proper sentencing. You will be informed of when two mornings from now."  
  
Just then, Professor McGonagall's anxious voice sounded over everything, not very loudly, but Kentarre knew somehow that everyone in the building, except in the dormitories, could hear. "Will all of the teachers please assemble in the teacher's lounge immediately."  
  
Jycein's smirk, however, did not fade. "It seems," he sneered, "that I'll be a bit late to the meeting." He gave a curt nod to the four of them, and then, stepping aside as if he expected them to walk in front of him, said, "I will escort you back to your common room."  
  
Meanwhile, those teachers who were available went immediately to the teacher's lounge. Professor Dumbledore, of course, was first, but he was joined shortly by Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick. One by one, all of the faculty members arrived--except, Dumbledore noticed, Professor Jycein. And, having been told of Jycein's treachery by Kentarre, this did not worry him, but rather, it gave him a sense of urgency.  
  
So he began. "I first must inform you of a certain antagonist who has been in our midst but a short time and already--"  
  
Professor Flitwick interrupted. "Hold on, Dumbledore. Where's Professor Jycein?"  
  
A few curious murmurs followed this, including a, "We can't start without him," from Professor Sprout, who had developed a sort of speaking term with the dark-haired Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.   
  
However, several people were surprised to note the grimness on Dumbledore's face. "That does have something to do with what I was about to say. You see, Kentarre has informed me that our Professor Jycein has been consorting with Voldemort."  
  
This was met by several indistinguishable comments, some angered, some shocked, some utterly confused. There was even an odd jerking movement from Professor Snape, whose face was unreadable. Dumbledore looked straight at him, and then addressed the group, "However, before we go into hysterics," he said with a pointed glance at some of the angrier teachers, including Filch, who was scowling even deeper than he did when he caught infringing students, "I have something to say of this. He knows that Kentarre is aware of this, but he does not expect her to have told us."  
  
Professor Flitwick said, his face lightening, "You plan to use this against him?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. We have a duty to fulfill to these students. The Christmas holidays are approaching, and then we can catch him and question him. I do not have to tell you the implications of this. If we fail to control him, he may take drastic measures, and we may find ourselves without a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the middle of the school year. However, if we do manage to subdue him, he may provide us with valuable information as to Voldemort's current status and position. Very shortly I intend to send for Kentarre that she might join us."  
  
"Why?" It was Snape, and his voice sounded icy. "Why must we always have her present? Why is she so vital to our plans?"  
  
"Kentarre is the one who brought this to our attention in the first place," Flitwick pointed out. "It was she who knew what Voldemort was up to first, and she chose to tell us about it. I don't see why we should keep our plans from her." This was met by a murmur of agreement, and Snape tried hard to keep his scowl off his face.  
  
Dumbledore swept the room with a piercing gaze of blue for a moment until all was silent. "On a better note, I will propose to you a defense mechanism that I have had in mind since the beginning of the school year. However, as I had hoped not to be forced to use it, I have kept it to myself. I tell you now because the time is right, so please believe me when I say that it is not too early. This mechanism I speak of is the ." This time more than a few people began to speak all at once. Dumbledore held up a hand for silence. "I know," he continued, "that this has not been used for many, many years, and that there is also no guarantee that it will still work with the same potency. However, its instrument is still in its resting place underneath this castle, and though it was damaged the last time it was used, I believe that with proper restoration, it could be used again."  
  
"Out with it, already," said Snape dryly, "before we melt in the heat of suspense."  
  
This warranted a few titters and even a wry smile from Dumbledore. "Very well, Severus," he said amicably, "there's no need to get impatient. What I am proposing is that we utilize the Recardium Lens."  
  
A few of the older faculty members gave gasps of recognition, among them Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Binns. However, the younger and less experienced ones merely creased their brows and waited for Dumbledore to elaborate.  
  
Which, he did. "For those of you who do not know or do not remember, the Recardium Lens was initially created by the four founders of this school as a means for them to unite their magics to protect the school, should it need protecting. The Lens is not very specific in this matter; it can be used to protect any manner of precise objects, from a student to a chamber in the castle. The Lens was used for this purpose to--"  
  
At this moment, the door to the lounge abruptly opened and shut. All eyes turned in that direction, and they found Professor Jycein, looking rather pleased with himself about something. Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. "Professor Jycein," he said in greeting. "I trust you have a very intriguing reason for being late to the staff meeting."  
  
Jycein nodded graciously. "I have, Headmaster. I found four loiterers in one of the empty classrooms. I had to escort them back to their common room."  
  
"Room?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "They were all from the same house? Which one?"  
  
"Gryffindor, Professor." His smirk, if possible, grew even more severe.  
  
The teachers absorbed this news while Dumbledore gave a small nod. "Very well. Anyway, Professor Jycein, we were just discussing the reason I called the staff meeting. I am sure you are aware that in the case of an emergency, this castle will be completely vulnerable to assault from the outside. I want to make it clear to all of you that though there are enchantments protecting this school, there is nothing beyond those. Certainly, the gargoyles at the front gate can be used to our advantage to some extent, but other than that there is nothing we can do if these enchantments are bypassed." Dumbledore gave a very stern look to all of the teachers, including Jycein, who tried to school his glee without success. "I do ask, therefore," he went on, "that all of you make yourselves available to any call of emergency that might arise. Be on the alert at all times; we don't want anything to happen that could have been prevented."  
  
Jycein's face began to show traces of unease. Dumbledore could already see the wheels turning in his head as he added two and two. "But Headmaster," he interjected, "there must be something we can do. In light of all that is happening in the outside world, we don't have any idea of what to expect. Surely there is some measure of defense or precaution that we have not thought of."  
  
Dumbledore's blue eyes met Jycein's dark ones. "What do you propose, Professor? I have studied thoroughly our chances of success if this castle is successfully entered. The enchantments placed on this castle were intended to be impassable, and they have been thus far. However, as you say, we cannot know what to expect. We do not presume to know anything about Lord Voldemort's future plans, so we must be ready to face the facts. If he is indeed capable of penetrating these walls, there will be very little we can do to withstand him. However, if you do come up with anything that might be useful, I trust you to inform the rest of us at once. We all have a duty to the students here." At this his gaze returned to the rest of the room. "They are the most priceless treasure we house. We must never forget that."  
  
This was met with a murmur of agreement, and shortly after, Dumbledore released the teachers to their respective offices and beds. Jycein did not linger, and no one asked where he was going.  
  
Kentarre, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all reached the common room in silence. Harry thought Kentarre was fuming, and that was the reason for her silence, but when he chanced a glance at her, her face was neutral, even pensive.   
  
When they entered, there was a larger amount of late-night stragglers than usual, so they did not speak. Rather, Kentarre drew from her robes a pad and pen, and she scribbled a short note on it and handed it to Harry. Without a word, she nodded to them and ascended the stairs to the girls' quarters.  
  
The three remaining all leaned in to read the note.  
  
Harry, it read, don't forget about tomorrow. I'll see you at 1 A.M.; two trees to the right of the Whomping Willow. Kentarre. 


	15. Identity

Chapter 15: Identity  
  
Kentarre really had no idea what to expect. The chances of things going exactly as she hoped were slim to none. Add this to the fact that she had no clue how to calm some of Harry's similar fears, and Kentarre's nerves were fit to be tied. But she was still going to go through with it. *There are thousands of people who would never forgive me if I didn't try.* Right now, she couldn't think of anything that would make her change her mind.  
  
So, as she prepared for bed, she attempted to clear her thoughts of all doubts. *I have to believe this will work, or I can't expect Harry to.* She summoned a light from her palm, and focused her energy into a small trickle. The ball of luminescence rose into the air in front of Kentarre's face, warming her skin like the first morning rays and casting shadows around her hair. *There's only one more thing to do before bed.*  
  
Kentarre leaned over and reached over to the bedside table and found a piece of parchment and a quill. She composed a short letter to her warriors stationed out in the woods, giving orders, explanations, and updates. Then she rose, went to the window, and gave a low, multi-toned whistle. A few seconds passed, and then the barely audible sound of wings in flight reached her ears. Nemesis glided up to the sill, a dark shadow in the late twilight. Kentarre let him in, stroked his back, and then tied the rolled message around his ankle. He nuzzled her cheek briefly, and then was off.  
  
She watched him go, feeling her doubts growing again and then quickly dispersing them. She continued to stare out of the open window for a while, absorbed in her own thoughts. That is, until she saw a small, distant but unmistakeable streak of red light slash across the sky and then fade.  
  
Immediately, she came out of her reverie. *What in Kelohra's name was that?!* She stared for a moment in disbelief as she realized what it was she had seen. And as she came to this realization, her astonishment quickly transformed into shocked anger. *I told him to stay put, no matter what happened!* she wanted to scream. Her fists coiled and uncoiled themselves rapidly as Kentarre resisted her sudden overwhelming urge to throw something heavy as far as she could.  
  
Her adrenaline had all but burned itself out when she had her next coherent thought. *I'd better not go,* she told herself firmly. *If I leave now...* Her eyes left the scene at the window briefly as her thoughts flicked to the black-haired boy in the next dormitory. *No. I'll see about this tomorrow. Later. When I'm in a better mood. And he had better consider himself lucky that I don't come after him now.*  
  
She went to sleep thinking something along the same lines, with her hands gripping the coverlet.  
  
Harry didn't know how he managed to wake up on time. He remembered lying down, intending to sleep for only a few hours, and that was exactly what he had done. He even still had his clothes on. He rose and pulled on his robes, trying to shake the sleep cloud from his head.  
  
He did not see Kentarre at all when he got outside. The instant chill made him shiver and wrap himself tightly in his robe, wishing he had brought his cloak. He made his way around the castle to the place where the Whomping Willow, covered in snow and looking frozen in time in the deep, still night air. He found the designated tree, but Kentarre was still nowhere to be found.   
  
Suddenly, there came a whooshing sound from overhead. Harry looked up--and nearly jumped out of his skin when Kentarre landed about two feet from where he stood. "Don't do that!" he cried, attempting to keep his voice down. It didn't work.  
  
Kentarre placed a finger on her lips. "Follow me," she said quietly, and then she began to walk into the forest. Harry did as he was bidden, trying to make as little noise as possible without knowing why. *It's not like anybody's going to hear us,* he reminded himself, but that eerie feeling that a million eyes were watching him didn't go away.  
  
It was a few minutes before Harry realized where she was taking him, and by that time his nerves had reached a tinny tenseness that he felt all through him. Nerves weren't new to Harry; he had been even more high-strung than this just last year, when Voldemort had come his closest to killing Harry just after Harry had witnessed the Dark Lord's rebirth. However, that time he had understood what would happen if he did not stop Voldemort from doing what he intended.  
  
Kentarre came to an abrupt stop just before the pair of them reached the clearing, still out of sight from whoever might be occupying it. She turned to look Harry full in the face for a moment before speaking. "I'm not going to prolong this. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will be forever in your debt for your dedication even this far."  
  
Harry didn't trust himself to reply, so he merely nodded solemnly. Kentarre did the same, and with a wan smile in his direction, the two of them entered the clearing.  
  
Immediately, Kentarre's stance changed. She stiffened and balled her hands into fists. Harry leaned forward to see the expression on her face, and he saw that she stared straight ahead, her jaw working. And, as he followed her gaze, he saw why.  
  
There was a man standing not far off whom Harry had never seen before. His hair was long and brown--it might have looked reddish in daylight. He was lean but muscled, and his face was pale and narrow. His eyes were solemn, dignified. The rest of the warriors were standing behind him, watching the two of them.  
  
For a moment, no one spoke. But then Nazo interrupted the silence. "Welcome, Kelohr," he said, bending to touch the ground with his knee. The others jerkily did the same, none showing less reverence, just more wariness.  
  
Suddenly, Kentarre spoke. "I told you to stay no matter what. What... possessed you to disobey?"  
  
The man was not phazed. "I wouldn't call it disobeying. I think following my gut feeling that something was wrong would be closer to the truth."  
  
"I don't care what you call it, Roathl. You are here when I told you to stay. I told you where I was going and what I planned to do. Isn't that enough?"  
  
"Under any other circumstances, it would be. But you know who you're dealing with, and I know what you think of him. I know you, Kentarre, and I wanted to make sure you weren't planning to do anything you might regret later."  
  
"Well, if you know me, you know that I rarely regret anything I do. I've thought this through very thoroughly. And you still haven't explained your reason for being here."  
  
Roathl sighed. "Very well. I sensed your battle with Learst."  
  
Kentarre inhaled slowly. "You saw it?"  
  
He nodded. "When I first realized what I was seeing, I thought immediately that it was going to be a short battle. But then I realized that something was different about Learst."  
  
"Something's different, all right. He's had Kaeru make him human."  
  
Roathl began to mutter under his breath in some language that Harry couldn't place. He knew he had heard Kentarre use it before, though, and it sounded distinctly like swear words.  
  
Once he had finished, he looked back up at Kentarre. "How long have you known about this?"  
  
"Since I arrived at Hogwarts this summer."  
  
Roathl nodded. "What has he told you?"  
  
Kentarre smirked. "Nothing that I couldn't have figured out for myself. The man is insufferable, but he is very good at keeping his mouth shut."  
  
Roathl also gave a wry smile. "So what have you planned to do about it?"  
  
"Well, you actually caught me in the act. I was just about to initiate the crucial point."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"I'm going to transfer my kel to the boy here." She inclined her head toward Harry.  
  
Roathl was silent for a minute or so. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, licked his lips, and tried again. "You're sure about this?"  
  
She nodded. "Sure enough to try it."  
  
"Then you've considered what could happen if it doesn't work, or something goes wrong."  
  
"Yes. I know that it could go wrong, that it's never been tried before, and that if it doesn't work, it could be irreversable. But I'm prepared to deal with that when the stakes are this high."  
  
Roathl seemed to harden. His eyes gained a look of steel, and he straightened. "Very well," he said crisply. "You intend to do this now?"  
  
Kentarre nodded once.  
  
"Good. Then let's get this over with."  
  
Kentarre's face didn't smile, but, in her way, her voice did. "I'm glad you decided not to argue."  
  
"What choice did I have? I've tried that before, and I always ended up agreeing with you. It doesn't take me very long to get used to your way of thinking anymore."  
  
At this, Kentarre almost laughed. But her nerves wouldn't permit her. Instead, she turned to Harry. "Are you ready?"  
  
He slowly met her gaze. Once more, that little surge of rebellion fought upwards from his stomach, but he didn't let it come out over the top. He asked himself in vain why he had gotten himself into this, but he knew at this moment that Kentarre had been lying when she said she would have picked someone else. It simply had to be him. "Let's go."  
  
She smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, there was a shuffling noise in the underbrush coming from the direction they had come, and seconds later a rumpled Ron and a grumpy Hermione emerged from the shrubs.  
  
The pair of them were a sight. Ron's robes were covered in leaves, and Hermione's hair all but stood on end. They were both out of breath, and Hermione was very flushed. At this, Kentarre really did laugh. Even Harry broke into a grin.  
  
"What in blazes are you two doing out here?" Harry asked them, walking up to meet them.  
  
Hermione replied, "Well, we couldn't... let you do this... by yourself, could we?"  
  
"Besides," Ron put in, "We're your friends. You're supposed to invite us when something important happens."  
  
Harry chuckled. "Come on, this isn't my birthday or anything--"  
  
"All right, then, Harry, if you insist," Hermione said impatiently, "we're here to watch. And we're staying whether you like it or not." She put her hands on her hips and frowned sternly.  
  
Kentarre said smoothly, "You can stay, Hermione. Both of you. In fact, I don't think I'd rather have it any other way. And this is Roathl, a friend of mine for more years than I can remember." She inclined her head toward the newcomer.  
  
Ron absorbed this information, and then he said with a grin, "So, are we just going to stand around like sticks?"  
  
Kentarre returned the grin. "No, actually, we were just about to get started when we were interrupted." She eyed Ron teasingly.  
  
The redhead might have been blushing had there been more light. However, Hermione cut in. "Let's just get this over with," she said, her voice tense and not very confident. Kentarre looked at her with concern, but said nothing. Instead, she addressed the others in their language for a moment.  
  
After she had finished, the whole lot of them moved to make a wide circle, sanctioning off their part of the clearing. Kentarre looked to Ron and Hermione. "I would ask that the two of you move out of the circle. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, if something does happen." They nodded and obliged, and Hermione tugged at Ron's sleeve. "Let's go over just behind Harry there." She pointed to a clear spot just behind the girl in yellow, the nearest they could get to Harry. Ron nodded, and they made their way over.  
  
Roathl positioned himself just behind Kentarre and slightly to her right. As he passed her, he breathed in her ear, "Kelohra protect you."  
  
Kentarre placed a hand on his arm and locked eyes with him. "I won't pretend I'm not glad you're here, Roathl, because I am."  
  
He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze before stepping back to join the others.  
  
Kentarre turned. All was ready. She was opposite the circle from Harry, and her warriors plus Roathl were stationed around them. She could see Ron and Hermione waiting anxiously outside their ring. And she knew what to do.  
  
Kentarre lifted her face toward the sky, scanning the stars for a moment before fixing her eyes on one spot. She began to chant the words, "Te hen kel oth fruel, Kelohra te marth kre. Marth or kib ethsen, noh mair o larhc te bair kre tren! Behtia tren! Kelohra!"  
  
Immediately, Kentarre began to emit dazzling blue light, concentrated in her hands, feet, and chest. She continued to repeat her litany, though Harry could no longer hear her voice. All around them, the warriors shifted uneasily. Harry could see a mix of astonishment and caution on Roathl's face, but he didn't have time for it to register, for right then there was a bright flash of blue light, and then Harry felt as though he were being pounded by a monstrous gale wind, which threatened to whip him off the ground. He staggered back a few feet and hit something that broke his fall and managed to keep him standing. Without realizing it, he had closed his eyes, and he now opened them, his curiosity having taken over. What he saw might have shocked him to the ground had he not been supported from behind.  
  
Kentarre stood like a marionette on strings, her feet and arms spread and her head tilted backward. Her eyes were closed, and Harry could not see her face. The light had shot forward from her body, four small beams from her hands and feet and one large one from her chest. All of these were directed at Harry, whose eyes were streaming tears from the wind that he could not block. Somehow, his arms and legs were locked in a position similar to Kentarre's, and all he could do was receive the light and hope that it did not tear him off the ground.  
  
Suddenly, just when Harry was thinking that the light's pressure against him would crush him, it ceased. Harry no longer felt as though the light sought to push him away, but rather to pull him forward. He took two small steps forward before he could adjust to this. He attempted to stand up straight, lest he fall over forward. It was at this point that he looked again at Kentarre.  
  
She appeared to have gotten smaller, somehow. Her eyes had come open now, and the expression on her face was that of blind pain. Tears ran openly down her cheeks, and her eyes were raised to the sky. He no longer wished to look at her, as if in doing so, he shared whatever pain she was feeling as the light--whatever it was--continued to flow.  
  
Almost exactly at that moment, Harry began to experience several new sensations. It was almost as if he were growing taller. He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the strangeness, but it wouldn't leave him. He felt invigorated, refreshed, as if he had not just been forced to wake up in the wee hours of the morning for a thirty-minute trek through the forest. His entire perspective shifted more than a little, but he didn't know what to do. Images flashed through his mind, some so fast he couldn't even see them, but others clear as day: images of fields, animals, rivers, people in crowds, and, the most staggering, of flying through the air over a forest.  
  
And lastly, Harry sensed that the light seemed to be getting brighter, if it was at all possible. It was now completely blinding to look at, and before Harry had to look away, he realized that its hyper-blue color had darkened about a shade. The shimmering sapphire power kept pouring into him, until he thought it would overwhelm him and swallow him completely.  
  
Then, at the last second or so, the light compressed into a single beam, which stretched from Kentarre's left hand to Harry's right. Harry's hand was pulled forward to meet it--  
  
And then it was over. Harry blinked in the sudden dim light, and it took a few seconds for the bright purple spots before him to vanish. When they did, he surveyed the clearing and spotted Kentarre. When he saw her, he gasped.  
  
She lay prone on the ground, her limbs outstretched and unmoving. He wanted to run over, but he found that he felt almost completely numb. Roathl made it to her side first. The brown-haired man turned her over, and Harry saw her face. Her eyes were closed, but her face was not peaceful. She looked older, more tired, than he had known her.  
  
It took Harry a bit to find his voice. "Is she... okay?"  
  
Roathl looked up at him. "Merely unconscious, but invariably so. She will not be coming out of this anytime in the foreseeable future."  
  
Harry could only nod. He glanced around at the other warriors and saw their worry and unease. Then his eyes found Ron and Hermione. They were both staring at him with expressions of utmost astonishment, and when their eyes met, they began to slowly walk over to him.  
  
"Harry," Hermione said, her voice near a whisper, "Look at yourself."  
  
Harry did, and at first he didn't see anything different. Then he noticed a mark on his right hand--identical to the one Kentarre had on her left hand. On an impulse, Harry whirled and lifted Kentarre's left sleeve. Her hand was bare, white as an aster.  
  
Hermione gasped. "Does this mean that... you're a--"  
  
"No." It was Nazo, walking up to them. "He's still human. He has simply been given the powers--and therefore the signia--of the Kelohr."  
  
"But," asked Harry, "why did she pass out like that?"  
  
Nazo shrugged. "It's hard to say. It could be that Kelohra is her life force, and her Thorosian blood is all that's sustaining her. It also could be that since Kelohra left her body, she experienced so much shock from the separation that she was unable to stay conscious. I watched her face during the transfer. It seemed that the only thing keeping her from conking was her power."  
  
Roathl shot him a glare. "How can you just stand there and try to find an explanation? We should be attempting to move her to someplace safer."  
  
Nazo ignored Roathl's contempt. "All right. Where can we move her?"  
  
There was silence for a moment until Hermione said in a small voice, "Madam Pomfrey could care for her. The school nurse."  
  
The woman in yellow with a bow strapped to her back took an alarmed step forward. "No! We can't take her there! The humans won't know how to take care of her!"  
  
Nazo looked at her placidly. "She will be safe there. The nurse does not have to care for her--she simply has to hide her. And one of us as well."  
  
The woman started just slightly. "One of us will stay with her? Which one?"  
  
"Any one. We might take shifts."  
  
Roathl carefully laid Kentarre's head back down and stood to face Nazo. "What makes you so sure that Dumbledore is so trustworthy? You've never met him, so you can't claim to know him at all!"  
  
Nazo said coolly, "Kentarre trusted him. That's how I know."  
  
Roathl said nothing, and his face was unreadable, hidden in darkness.  
  
Hermione interrupted their exchange in a quiet voice, "Well, I think... we'd better get back to the castle. The sun will be rising soon."  
  
Everyone glanced toward the lightening eastern sky, and Nazo nodded. "We'll come with you. We've got to get Kentarre to the hospital wing."  
  
So they gathered the Kelohr in her robes and Roathl bundled her into his bulky arms. Harry had an inexplicable feeling that the man had done this before.  
  
Harry and his friends led the way through the Forbidden Forest, saying nothing. They said a short farewell at the door of the hospital wing, and then Roathl and Nazo went inside, and the other three took the familiar route to their common room from there.  
  
Not even Filch was up at this hour, which was a lucky stroke, because Ron just couldn't stifle his gargantuan yawns any longer. When they reached the common room, all of them were too tired to even say good night.  
  
  
  
Malfoy awoke with a burning sensation on the right side of his head. He opened his eyes and immediately knew that Kentarre had not been lying to him. The white ceiling and curtains of the hospital wing told him this much. What they did not tell, however, was how long he had been laying here.  
  
However, it did strike him as strange that his bed was completely shielded from sight of the rest of the wing. *Guess Hisakata arranged for no visitors. It figures that she'd be that scared I'd say something. Not like I'm not planning to. She'll pay dearly for what she did. And for what she knows.*  
  
Malfoy heard footsteps coming his way. A few seconds later, one of the curtains was pulled back, revealing Madam Pomfrey's face. "Ah, it's about time. I was about to wonder what exactly it was you hit your head on to make you stay out that long."  
  
"And how long was that?"  
  
"A day and a half."  
  
"I suppose Hisakata told you about what happened."  
  
"Yes, she did. Something along the lines of a blind rush into a tree branch."  
  
"Well, whatever she told you is wrong. She hit me."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Don't believe me? Ask her."  
  
The nurse gave him a skeptical look. "If you wish," she said neutrally. "Let me change your bandages."  
  
Malfoy silently allowed her to re-gauze his head. His eyes followed her every move, and he knew she felt him watching her, for she said nothing else until, when she was leaving, she said over her shoulder, "You should be able to rejoin the classes tomorrow. Now that your awake, there's no sense in keeping you here. Your missed work was brought in by Crabbe and Goyle. It's on the table." And then she was gone.  
  
Malfoy then saw the pile of books and parchment on the nightstand. It wasn't very substantial, but Malfoy knew that Snape would excuse him from his work anyway.  
  
Malfoy eased his head back against the pillow. *There should be more teachers like Snape at this school,* he mused absently. *If only there was a way to get some of them fired...* Malfoy shook his head. He had been trying to do that for a long time now--five years, for some of them--and it hadn't worked yet. Dumbledore had even kept Hagrid, despite Malfoy's most concentrated efforts added to those of people who agreed with him. Last year it had almost happened.  
  
Malfoy smiled at the memory. When the news that the bumbling oaf was a half-giant hit the wizarding papers, Malfoy couldn't have been more pleased. *It's really too bad that that Skeeter woman disappeared. She was beginning to grow on me.*  
  
  
  
Harry couldn't have been more glad that the next day was Sunday. He rose later than any of the boys in his dorm, and when he put on his glasses he saw the time was 10:47 A.M.  
  
He flopped back onto his pillow and let the curtain of his bed close over his hand. He stared up at the ceiling, wishing he could take a holiday from all of this. He realized then that his life at the castle had intensified beyond anything he had ever expected. Detention he could handle. Loss of points he could handle. Even a threat from Voldemort was not quite so frightening as it used to be. But having to face that threat himself, without the support from Kentarre that he had expected was, in and of itself, enough to convince him to stay in bed till the end of his days.  
  
However, Ron would not allow that.  
  
At that moment, that self-same redhead walked in the door. "Morning there, Harry," he said, sounding just as jovial as ever. "You coming down?"  
  
Harry sat up. "Yeah, I'm coming. What's happening down there?"  
  
"Well, Fred and George set off earlier, looking like they wanted to cause some havoc. Something to do with a house-elf and Angelina's new hat." Ron shrugged, but he couldn't keep the amusement completely out of his eyes.  
  
Harry was silently pensive for a moment, and he put his palm to his hot forehead, pushing his bangs up out of his eyes. Ron looked concerned, and then he said, "Come on. You're not doing any good just sitting here."   
  
Harry looked up at his best friend. "All right, Ron. I'm coming. Just let me get dressed, and then we'll go see what all the fuss is about."  
  
Ron grinned, and when Harry had donned his blue jeans, a shirt, and robes, the two of them went downstairs.  
  
They didn't meet anybody until they had nearly reached the great staircase. A few people were trickling up, but from the noise coming from below, Harry and Ron could tell that most of the students were down at the foot. They went to the balcony, and this sight met their eyes: the Entrance Hall looked spectacular. Today was the day that the Christmas decorations went up, and they were most exquisite. The ususal icicles draped both banisters of the great staircase, and holly hung from the torch brackets, along with the occasional sprig of mistletoe. A large mass of students stood a good ways from the door, and Angelina, Fred, and George were in a cleared circle. Angelina was bright red and yelling forcefully at the two red-heads, who were artfully keeping their composure.  
  
"I don't know what possessed you to do this, Fred, but it had better--"  
  
"Now, now," interrupted Fred, "I can't take all the credit. It was as much George's idea as it was mine." He shot George a look as if he had just paid his twin an immense compliment.  
  
George bowed graciously. "Thank you, old boy, but that really was a grand idea you had."  
  
Angelina cut in furiously, "I don't care whose idea it was! Just don't ever try something like this"--she brandished something at the two boys--"again!"  
  
Harry leaned over the balcony to peer at the item. It was made of navy material, and was tattered at the edges. Harry then noticed a small figure standing just behind Angelina and looking absolutely bewildered. Harry recognized immediately one of the house-elves they had become acquainted with, whose name was Dobby. He too was holding something--something bright red and new-looking. His head was void of the tea cozy he usually wore, and after a few moments, Harry realized that the red object was the tea cozy.   
  
Suddenly he knew why Dobby was bewildered and why Angelina was smoking at the ears. He straightened back up and laughed out loud. Ron looked at him. "What's going on, Harry?"  
  
Harry said between spouts, "Fred and George... made Angelina's hat look like Dobby's... and Dobby's looks like Angelina's!"  
  
Ron too began to chuckle, but then he looked back over the edge and frowned.   
  
"What is it, Ron?"  
  
He looked back at Harry. "How'd you see all that? I can't even tell what Dobby's holding."  
  
Harry found it hard to be disturbed. "Dunno. Maybe my glasses are good for something after all. Anyway, where's Hermione?"  
  
"At breakfast. When she saw what all this was about, she walked right past."  
  
Harry laughed again, and then said, "Let's go find her."  
  
So they did. Hermione was sitting at the table, but she wasn't eating. Her eyes were lowered, and she looked pensive. She didn't look up when they sat beside her, but merely bit her bottom lip.  
  
"Hermione? What's up?"  
  
Hermione slowly lifted her gaze to stare Harry in the face. "I've just had a conversation with Malfoy."  
  
Ron said cheerily, "Well, that's enough to make anyone gloomy. What did he say?"  
  
Hermione glanced unappreciatively at him before she said, "He told me that if we didn't tell him what was going on that he'd tell everyone what happened in the forest. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't seem to believe me. He told me we had until tomorrow before the news will be out."  
  
Ron gave a low whistle. Harry muttered, "Kentarre thought something like this might happen, but she didn't say what she was going to do when it did."  
  
Hermione looked at him sharply. "Tell Dumbledore," she hissed. "It won't hurt."  
  
"No, Hermione. Malfoy would never let me live it down. There's got to be a way to stall him without telling him anything."  
  
Ron brightened. "We could always use Kentarre's method."  
  
Harry grinned widely. "You know, that--"  
  
"Absolutely not," Hermione cut in. "You'll get in who knows what kind of trouble if you get caught injuring another student on purpose."  
  
"Oh, come off it, Hermione, you know I was just joshing. Okay, so we need a better plan than that."  
  
Hermione said, "Wait a minute." She leaned in closer. "I've only read about this recently, but do you remember that lesson we had in Charms about specialized Memory Charms?"  
  
Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. "You want to use one of them on Malfoy?" Harry asked. "But I thought they were only for immediate memory. That happened two days ago. That's not immediate."  
  
"Well, if you'll let me finish, I decided to read up on it to see what I could find. There's such a thing as a Day-Old Memory Charm, and it will work in correspondence with a formula that allows you to fill in the variables--such as how many days ago you want them to forget and how much. It's very complex, but it can't be any harder than the Polyjuice Potion."  
  
"Or as bad-tasting," Ron muttered, and Harry agreed.  
  
"So," asked Harry, "how do we go about learning it?"  
  
Hermione bit her lip in thought. "Well, I don't exactly remember what the book said, but I do remember that its description was very short. It was maybe a page long."  
  
"Well, that's comforting. Which book was it?"  
  
"It was called--" Hermione's abrupt stop made them all look up. Snape was a few feet away and closing. His smirk was so oily, Harry was sure he could have waxed his Firebolt five times over with it. Without delay, he explained, "Professor McGonagall's owl is currently incapacitated, so I have been given the very pleasant duty of presenting you with these." He placed three pieces of folded white paper on the table in front of them and stalked away.  
  
Ron muttered, "I've got a feeling I know what these are."  
  
And he was right. Written on Harry's paper, in Professor McGonagall's neat hand, was the message: "Mr. Potter, Your detention has been scheduled for this Thursday, the twentieth of December, at 8:00 P.M. Please meet Mr. Filch in the Entrance Hall at said time. Signed, Professor McGonagall."  
  
But, to their dismay, all of their detentions were on different days. "I bet this was Snape's recommendation," Harry moaned. He turned to look for the greasy-haired Potions master, but there was none to be found. "I guess he went to go gloat."  
  
The Great Hall, like the Entrance Hall, was spruced up for the holiday. The customary seven Christmas trees lined two walls and positively dripped with garlands and baubles, all polished silver, gold, and ivory. The tablecloths were immaculate and hemmed with embroidery that depicted a long, twisting holly vine and small red and blue birds that flitted to and fro among the leaves. The floating candles that illuminated the hall were bedecked with baubles on wire that had been stuck into the wax. The baubles reflected the candlelight, sending showers of prismatic displays onto the occupants. Bright red and green ribbons graced every doorway, and matching ones trimmed the teachers' table. All in all, it was magnificent.  
  
Harry and his friends were soon joined by others; Dean, Seamus, Parvati, and Lavender, all fellow fifth years, showed up as well and began conversing in a merry manner. They talked and laughed about this and that all through the meal; Harry thought it was the most fun he'd had at the table in a while, especially when Dean accidentally spilled his pumpkin juice all over Parvati, making her yelp and jump out of her chair. After the fact, she realized that a majority of the Great Hall was staring at her with varied amusement on their faces, and she turned tomato red and sat back down again.  
  
When the evening was done, Harry had had so much fun that he had forgotten all about what Hermione had been about to tell them. He laughed with his friends all the way back to the common room, where he enjoyed a contented, dreamless sleep. 


End file.
